Tuesdays with Junior | Ep 6 | February 10, 2026

It Takes a Village to Build a Champion

If there’s one thing Junior Hakizumwami has learned on his journey from Kigali to the Mouratoglou Academy, it’s that no champion is self-made. This week we step back from the baseline to look at the people who make the work possible: shared meals with fellow athletes, high-fives from coaches after brutal drills, and digital connections back home to Rwanda that keep Junior grounded in who he is and what he’s playing for.

The transition from Rwanda to France — and soon to Keiser University in Florida — is as much a mental challenge as a physical one. Being thousands of miles from home requires a support system that provides more than technical advice. It provides belonging.

You Are Part of the Village

At the academy, Junior has found a second family that pushes him to be better every day. But there’s another part of the village he doesn’t see in person: the community of supporters behind the Love All Scholarship. Every racket restrung, every tournament fee paid, every pair of shoes replaced is a message that the world is rooting for him.

As Junior prepares for the high-intensity environment of US collegiate tennis, the movement behind him is as important as the work in front of him. Champions are built by villages. This one is growing every week.

“I know I’m not doing this alone. That’s what keeps me going when it’s hard.” — Junior Hakizumwami