Today at the Paris 2024 Olympic Tennis Event
Daily Media Bulletin – 7 September 2024
SENSATIONAL ODA BECOMES YOUNGEST EVER PARALYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST IN WHEELCHAIR TENNIS MEN’S SINGLES
Tokita Oda triumphed in a thrilling men’s singles final against Alfie Hewett to take gold as the Paris 2024 Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Event reached a pulsating conclusion at Stade Roland Garros on Saturday.
Aged 18 years and 123 days, Oda became the youngest ever Paralympic wheelchair tennis men’s singles gold medallist with victory.
Hewett will rue not taking a gold medal point at 5-3 in the third set, but the unstoppable Oda fought back to take the decider 7-5 in front of another capacity crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier.
It was a gutsy performance from the Brit, who needed medical treatment after the first game and though he just came up short, he will be proud to have added silver to the men’s doubles gold he won alongside Gordon Reid on Friday.
In the first match of the day, Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez became the first player from South America to win a Paralympic wheelchair tennis medal by overcoming Spain’s Martin de la Puente in straight sets.
Overall, Paris 2024 has matched the Paralympic record for most nations winning wheelchair tennis medals (eight) and the Paralympic record for most nations winning their first wheelchair tennis medals at a Games (four). Both are joint records with Athens 2004, when the quad category made its debut at the Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Event.
Kopatsch/Molter; click here to access rights-free photographs
DAY NINE QUOTES
Tokito Oda (JPN): “I was just one point away from a loss. I was so nervous. I just told myself to keep hitting hard, that’s it. I did so well in the first set, but I couldn’t play better in the second set. Today, I just kept trying to do better than the first set. After I saved his match point, I told myself, ‘I should win, I can win’. After that, I started playing really well. I just played my style. I wanted to dive on to the court, but I couldn’t spin, so I just took off my wheels. The feeling is the best of my life.”
Gustavo Fernandez (ARG): “I wanted to do this not only for me, but for the country and for the people who supported me from the beginning – my family. It’s been a rough year, but to close it out like this, it’s unbelievable. I’m overwhelmed with emotions and I’m trying to figure out how to manage them.”
ITF communications contacts:
Chris Smith (chris.smith@itftennis.com)
Joseph Rigal (joseph.rigal@itftennis.com)
