EXCLUSIVE | John-Laffnie de Jager’s extraordinary battle since birth
· The South African
Ermelo-born former ATP tennis player John-Laffnie de Jager has opened up about the extraordinary medical setback he faced at birth – and how it shaped a career that defied expectations.
Speaking to The South African’s Dave Marshall, De Jager described how his first battle came before he ever stepped onto a tennis court.
Visit raccoongame.org for more information.
“When I was born, my heart stopped,” he recalled.
‘Something went wrong’
“Doctors had to resuscitate me. They shocked me, injected me – and in the chaos, something went wrong.
“The injection meant for my thigh went into my buttock instead, damaging the nerve that runs down my right leg.
“From that moment on, I had only about 10% nerve function in that leg – a condition I still live with today.
“For the first three years of my life, I was in a cast.
“The prognosis was blunt. I was told I would likely never play sport. There was only a 12% chance I would ever walk properly. I grew up on a farm, but doctors insisted I shouldn’t walk barefoot – not until I was 18. Surgery was recommended. Caution was the rule.
“My parents disagreed.”
Growing Up Without Limits
“My mom and dad made a quiet but radical decision: they refused to raise me as a child with a disability.
“They let me walk barefoot on the farm as soon as I could walk. I ran. I fell. I got up again. I played every sport I could find. There were no special allowances, no lowered expectations, no reminders that my body was supposedly broken.
“In hindsight, I did have a serious disability. I just wasn’t allowed to believe it defined me.
“That mindset carried me further than anyone – including doctors – thought possible.”
The Paralympics Test
“In 2000, when I went to the Sydney Olympics, doctors ran a full assessment out of curiosity. The results were clear: I would have qualified for the Paralympics.
“That wasn’t a shock. What surprised people was everything I’d already done before that moment.
“By 1993, at just 19 years old, I qualified for Wimbledon – not just in doubles, but in singles as well. I reached the main draw in singles and doubles via qualifying.
“Six months later, at the Australian Open, I rolled my ankle badly in the first round. Torn ligaments.
“I taped it and kept playing.
“I don’t feel a lot in my right leg anyway. Pain registers differently when nerve damage is part of your daily life. I pushed through and reached the semi-finals.
“From the outside, it looked like momentum. On the inside, my body was quietly breaking down.”
The Doctor Who Knew Me Best
“When I returned to South Africa, I saw Dr Fif Ferreira – the same doctor who had looked after me since birth, and a close friend of my father. He didn’t sugar-coat it.
“If you play singles and doubles for four years,” he said.
“You will be done.”
“Not done with tennis – but done with trying to do everything.
“He told me my body would not survive a career playing both singles and doubles at the highest level. The wear, the travel, the matches – it was too much. Something had to give.
“By then, I was ranked inside the top 50 in the world in doubles.
“The decision wasn’t emotional. It was practical.
“I chose doubles.”
A Different Kind of Career
“Once I committed fully, everything aligned. I got into the big tournaments. I built a career that worked with my body instead of against it. The path wasn’t what most players dream of as kids – but it was a bonus just to be able to play and to be competitive.
“At birth, my parents were told that I would not be able to play any sport.
“Looking back, the irony isn’t lost on me.
“I was born with a heart that stopped and a leg that barely worked. I grew up being told sport wasn’t for me. And yet, I reached two grand slam mixed doubles finals, five grand slam doubles semi-finals, and finished fourth at the Olympics.
“My disability was so bad that if I wanted to, I could have competed in the Paralympics.
“Not in spite of my body.
“But by learning how to listen to it.
“Sometimes the story isn’t about overcoming limitations.
“Sometimes it’s about refusing to accept the ones you’re given – and then knowing exactly when to adapt.”
Dave Marshall caught up with John-Laffnie de Jager at the 2026 Australian Open in Melbourne, exclusively for The South African.