Dylan Alcott has paid an emotional tribute to the sport that saved his life after winning a record-extending sixth straight Australian Open quad wheelchair singles title on Saturday.
Playing before a big home crowd under a closed Rod Laver Arena roof, Alcott held off a spirited late charge from Great Britain’s Andy Lapthorne, 6-0 6-4.
Seven-time men’s singles champion Novak Djokovic came onto court to give the Australian a hug as he posed for photos with the trophy.
But it was Alcott’s pledge for bushfire recovery efforts that drew the biggest cheers.
“My life has changed so much in the last three to four years and it’s because of everyone who’s here,” Alcott said.
“Thank you everyone for making my dreams come true. I know it’s been a pretty tough time in Australia and to try help out in any way I was donating $100 per ace and all my team came on board … so we actually donated $800 per ace. Coming into today I had 41 aces, and today only had one, but let’s say it was nine.
“We’ll be donating $40,000 to people with a disability affected by bushfires.”
With good friend, Australian Opals and WNBA star Liz Cambage, supporting from the stands, Alcott’s 10th major singles title went some way to erasing the disappointment of losing last year’s US Open final to Lapthorne, when a calendar-year Grand Slam was on the line.
“Tennis honestly saved my life, it honestly did, when I was younger and the Australian Open single-handedly changed my life,” Alcott said.
“I love every single one of you for supporting what we do.
“If you look around the top row, almost every person has a disability and look, they’re full … if we continue to grow society will continue to support us.”
Lapthorne, a two-time Grand Slam champion from Middlesex, finally got on the board with a break in the second game of the second set.
It was part of four straight breaks between the pair before he held serve for the first time in the match to edge ahead 3-2.
Alcott was seriously tested when serving at 3-4 in the second set.
A fourth double fault from the Australian came at an inopportune time as it handed Lapthorne two break points for the chance to serve for the second set.
It became a crucial hold as Alcott went on to break in the following game.
He served it out on his second match point when Lapthorne incorrectly challenged a baseline shot.
“I hate Hawkeye, first of all,” Lapthorne joked.
“Congrats to Dylan, unbelievable achievement to win here again, just unreal.
“I’ve been coming here for years cheering on Andy Murray on this court. I might have lost today but that will live forever … if there’s one disabled person at home watching this and wondering if they should chase their dreams, we are proof … I was sitting on this court the other night watching Nick Kyrgios and now I’m playing on it. Just go for it.”
Alcott said he had shifted his mindset to be “the best version of Dylan” instead of being fixated on achieving a calendar-year Grand Slam as he was last year.
But he admitted he did have a Golden Grand Slam in the back of his mind in a Paralympic year.
“I really stuffed up the US Open,” Alcott said.
“I was pretty devastated, like gutted, hated myself, hated tennis a bit.
“I really worked hard on myself since then. New mindset coach, new strength trainer, just really working on everything. Obviously being a Paralympic year and things.
“That was the best I played. The first set, best tennis I ever played. Big match on TV, big crowd. I was really happy with how I played.
“I'd be lying if I said I didn't want it. That's the goal, but I can't demand that of myself. All I can demand is me being the best Dylan. If I can do that, mate, I'll be stoked I think … but very happy that I won today because it's still alive.”