Alcott Credits Star Support After Defending RG Quad Title

Dylan Alcott successfully defended his Roland Garros quad wheelchair men's singles title today—and thanked Grand Slam champions for their continued support of major wheelchair tennis.The top-seeded Alcott topped second-seeded Briton Andy Lapthorne 6-2, 6-2 for his second straight title in Paris.TN Podcast: Previewing RG Men's FinalIt came a month after Alcott fell to Sam Schroder in the US Open quad wheelchair final.Initially, the USTA cancelled the wheelchair event citing health and safety concerns due to the Coronavirus pandemic.Alcott tweeted about the Open's "disgusting discrimination." Alcott's tweet mobilized Grand Slam champions Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer into action lending their joint support to reinstating wheelchair tennis at the US Open."When we missed out on the US Open originally, I just wrote those tweets because I was really sad, to be honest," Alcott said. "As someone with a disability not to be included just because of our disability was tough. I didn't think anyone would listen."The next thing it's on the third page of the New York Times, Andy Murray has called me on the phone. The support from the world of tennis has been amazing. I get to play on Rod Laver Arena back in Australia, 10,000 people there, a million people watching on TV, that kind of stuff."

Alcott, a champion wheelchair basketball player as well as an Australian Open TV analyst and motivational speaker, said the support of the entire tennis community has been a "massive" boost for wheelchair tennis."It was like when we didn't get in the US Open, I almost fell out of my wheelchair when Andy Murray calls me and goes, Hey, man, I've been speaking to Roger, Novak, Rafa and the boys, and we put in the WhatsApp," Alcott said. "They can't believe you're not there either. We're going to try to help. I can't believe they even know my name, let alone in the locker room."Like, when I first started playing tennis, I know these guys, I was always wondering, are we an inconvenience to them? Are we in the way? Like there's wheelchair players? Now they're like, G'day, Dyl. Saw your match. How good is your backhand going? It's like we're equals in a sense."If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for the public. It's good enough for center court. It's good enough for sponsors. It's good enough for people to buy tickets. It's good enough for TV."Photo credit: Australian Open Facebook ]]>