Dylan Alcott has done it all so far in men’s wheelchair tennis and along the way he’s achieved a lifetime goal of mainstream success beyond his dreams.
Now, it’s time for another first that he reckons will make him “tear up straight away” — winning Wimbledon and the inaugural quad wheelchair Grand Slam.
For the first time, the five-time grand slam winner will get to ply his craft on not only the hallowed grass of The All England Club but also take to the clay of Roland Garros in Paris as both tournaments roll with the times and bring in quad wheelchair athletes to their events.
It will be Alcott’s second trip to the SW19 courts after he played in an exhibition doubles match there in 2018, alongside South Africa’s Lucas Sithole.
The pair lost the match 6-2 6-3 to Brit Andrew Lapthorne and American David Wagner but if anything that first taste has left Alcott, who has won the last three slam singles titles, wanting to be the inaugural champion at both events even more.
“In terms of my campaign I am really excited that Roland Garros and Wimbledon have been added to the calendar,” Alcott told news.com.au.
“Chucking on the all whites will be a dream come true.
“Everyone wants to win Wimbledon. If I do, I’d tear up straight away.”
And if he does win both it would make it a calendar year Grand Slam, a goal that was not even achievable last year but that’s how far Alcott and wheelchair athletes have come in recent times as even his practices at the Australian Open were packed out.
ALCOTT REFUTES FOOTY SHOW REPORTS
It’s been reported he will be one of the new hosts of Nine’s Footy Show alongside Anthony “Lehmo” Lehmann and Brendan Fevola.
One former host Garry Lyon went to town on the line-up Alcott was named as a part of, when speaking on SEN.
“They weren’t the names I would’ve been expecting,” Lyon said before saying that as a result of that “it’s not The Footy Show”.
Alcott dismissed that and actually said reports of him being on the show had been premature.
“The media jumped the gun on that one actually,” Alcott said.
“I’ve been in discussions with them but haven’t actually signed up, so we’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.”
Between getting ready for the big events on his own tennis radar, Alcott is also looking to prove that anyone in a wheelchair is able and is also consulting with “both sides of parliament” on disability but is also firmly focused on helping the next generation of tennis players through his role as an ANZ Ambassador and the ANZ tennis grants program.
And he’s been out to South Warrandyte Tennis Club in northeast Melbourne to give them a $10,000 grant so they can convert the two current courts into five ANZ Hotshots courts.
It still gives Alcott a thrill to see the smiling kids faces and the recognition he gets from them as a wheelchair athlete.
“I want to use my platform,” he said.
“That’s why I love working in the media — growing up I never saw anyone working in a wheelchair so it’s cool to see all these kids, smiling when they meet me.”
AUSTRALIAN TENNIS IN A GREAT PLACE
While Alcott was one of the feel good stories of the 2019 Open both on the court and off it — where he was applauded for his insightful commentary and interviews on the Nine Network — a storm gathered around Australian tennis as Bernard Tomic and Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt went to war at least verbally.
Since then the pair have intermittently kept their feud simmering, with Hewitt throwing a subtle jab at Tomic in New York, while Tomic pulled out of a match in Acapulco on Monday with Alexei Popyrin, who is close with Hewitt.
Despite all that Alcott was keen to play down the feud and the constant attention the Australian media places on the ever enigmatic Nick Kyrgios.
Alcott feels Australian tennis is in a great place right now and the negativity should not be the focus.
“I think the women in particular are dominating. Ash Barty has just been amazing,” he said.
“With the men Alex de Minaur is doing well, it’s good to see Thanasi (Kokkinakis) recovering and Johnny ‘Thrillman’ Millman is a legend — I think Australian tennis is in the best shape it has been in years.
“In terms of Davis Cup I don’t have any idea on what goes on. I honestly don’t know and don’t care that much. I think everyone is a bit harsh on the whole situation there.”
Be the first to comment