Chakanyuka is already making waves at 18 and is regarded as one of the country's top female talents. At the ITF J60 tournament, she teamed up with Naledi Raguin to reach the finals. Chakanyuka credits her elder sister, Tanaka, for influencing her to take up tennis. “Growing up, I watched my sister play the sport and travel places because of tennis. That made me eager to get into the sport and become as good as she was. In 2013, I decided to grab the racket and step into the court. Of course, as a student at Rainbow School in Gaborone, I was introduced to other sports, such as football, swimming, netball, and athletics. I was good at them because of my athleticism,” she said.
Chakanyuka said one needs to be motivated when they step into the court as it is not easy. She said what pushes her is the need to prove to herself that she is better than what she thinks and that she is making her parents and coach proud. Chakanyuka’s parents, Agnes and Israel, have been managing her career since it started. “Whenever I have tournaments outside the country, my father would drive me there and back. Of course, he would be there to watch me play and be my personal coach and take care of my finances. My mother would pick me up from school and take us to the tennis court for training. The support from parents has been amazing and more than I expected,” she said. Chakanyuka describes her style of play as aggressive. “My style of play is mostly being an aggressive hitter and attacker. Tennis is an individual sport so usually a person is playing for himself or herself but representing their academies and if needed they play for their country. I currently train at Notwane Tennis Centre in Gaborone,” she said.
