Wimbledon: Great Britain’s Alfie Hewett wins wheelchair singles to complete career Grand Slam

Great Britain’s Alfie Hewett won his first Wimbledon wheelchair singles title to complete the career Grand Slam with a comprehensive 6-2 6-3 victory over Spain’s Martin de la Puente.

Hewett then rounded off what he described as “the best day of my life” by later winning the doubles title with fellow Brit Gordon Reid for a sixth time.

In the singles, Hewett had lost in the Wimbledon finals in 2022 and 2023 but erased those memories to clinch a ninth Grand Slam title overall after four US Open victories, three at the French Open and one at the Australian Open.

The 26-year-old had already completed the career Grand Slam in doubles with Reid. They have now won 21 Grand Slam doubles titles together, the most of any doubles partnership in the history at the All England Club.

Hewett has now replicated that achievement in the singles after overpowering De la Puente, winning the match with a powerful backhand and becoming only the second male player after Japan’s Shingo Kunieda to win the singles and doubles at every Grand Slam.

He also later became the first man since Reid in 2016 to win the Wimbledon singles and doubles title in the same year when he partnered the Scot to victory in the doubles final against Japan’s Takuya Miki and Tokito Oda later on Sunday afternoon.

Hewett had been beaten by Oda in last year’s Wimbledon singles final, losing 11 of the final 13 games having led 4-1 in the first set, while he squandered four championship points in the 2022 showpiece before losing to legend of the game Kunieda.

But the Norwich-born player would not be denied in 2024, securing victory with his second championship point before hurling his racket into the air in an emotional celebration as the crowd erupted.

Hewett completes ‘dream’ after previous heartbreak

Hewett said afterwards: “I am speechless to be honest. These last few years have been difficult. Winning the doubles with Gordon has been good memories, but to leave on a singles final loss has not been far off heartbreaking in the last couple of years.

“When you’ve watched this ever since you were a young kid and it’s been a dream for so, so long, narrowly missing out has been a real tough one.

“Last night I was a ball of nerves because I didn’t want to walk away with another loss and I am just really, really proud of my performance out there.

“I want to thank my team, they are like a second family. We’ve gone through a lot together, a lot of highs and some lows, but you never fail to get me back to myself, back to my level.

“You kept believing in me. I think today proved that no matter how many times you can get knocked down, you can still get back up and keep trying. That is all down to you guys.”

Hewett completes 2024 Wimbledon double

Hewett teamed up with Reid later on Court Three to beat second seeds Oda and Miki 6-4 7-6 (7-2) and successfully defend the wheelchair doubles title.

It is Hewett and Reid’s sixth title in the last eight Wimbledon tournaments and their 21st shared Grand Slam title overall, which takes them past Althea Louise Brough and Margaret Evelyn Du Pont, and Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver, as the most successful doubles pairing in history.

A forehand winner by Reid sealed the championship against their Japanese rivals and kept the British pair on course for a second calendar Grand Slam after wins at the Australian Open and French Open earlier this year.

“It’s been a memorable day – definitely the best day of my life,” said Hewett.

“Today is the stuff of dreams. It was emotional earlier to clinch my first singles but I wanted to come back with Gio and obviously defend the title.”

Ad content | Stream Sky Sports on NOW

Stream Sky Sports live with no contract on a Month or Day membership on NOW. Instant access to live action from football, darts, cricket, F1, tennis, golf, rugby league, rugby union and more