American Nightmare Has Alcott Mentally Prepared For ‘Golden’ Opportunity

Reigning Paralympic quad singles gold medallist Dylan Alcott is getting a little sick of hearing about the ‘golden slam’.

As was the case for fellow men’s world No. 1 Novak Djokovic ahead of the Olympics, the 30-year-old Victorian comes to Tokyo 2020 having won the first three major singles titles this year.

But a sobering experience in New York three years ago has Alcott taking a different mental approach.

“I had a chance to win the Grand Slam in 2019. I won Australia, won French, won Wimbledon, and US I got to the final and got pumped. I got smashed because I was thinking about it. So I learned my lesson. Never again,” Alcott said.

“I used to have expectations on myself to try and win but the only expectation I can have is to be the best version of me.

“You have to beat everybody to win so I’ll play anybody, anywhere, anytime. I just love tennis and an opportunity to be back in the Paralympic Games.”

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The wheelchair tennis draw was conducted on Wednesday, ahead of the tournament beginning on Friday, at Ariake Tennis Park.

The quad singles doesn’t start until Saturday, where Alcott has an opening round meeting with Japan’s world No. 11 Mitsuteru Moroishi. The Australian holds a 6-0 career record over the 54-year-old.

The second member of Australia’s quad tennis contingent is World No. 7 Heath Davidson. The 34-year-old is on the opposite side of the draw and will play world No. 14 Anthony Cotterill of Great Britain in the first round.

Alcott and Davidson will link for the defence of their quad doubles gold medal and are guaranteed to play for a medal in the seven-strong draw.

The Rio champions are top seeds and, due to a first round bye, progress directly to the semi-final.
Alcott says the conditions in Tokyo are tailor-made for the Australians.

“I tell you what, it’s bloody hot man, and I think it’s a positive for us Australians because we are used to that … the hotter the better, baby!” Alcott said

“We’ve been sitting in a sauna every day in Australia, using a heat chamber, all kinds of stuff.”

“I got given one in my backyard. It’s like a little three-person sauna, and it goes up to 70 degrees. We were doing about 60 degrees and just sitting there for an hour every day, just to get used to sweating and getting hot. It actually helped us get acclimatized.”

The men’s open classification, where singles action begins on Friday, is headlined by hometown legend Shingo Kunieda.

The 37-year-old world No.1 is among the highest profile Paralympians of all time, having won 24 major singles titles, 21 major doubles titles, and three Paralympic gold medals.

Tokyo-born Kunieda claimed his first Paralympic gold medal in doubles in Athens 2004 and followed with singles golds back-to-back in Beijing and London.

Australia has two open class men, debutant Martyn Dunn, and five-time Paralympian Ben Weekes.

In the singles, world No. 87 Dunn will play Argentina’s world No. 52 Ezequila Casco. Team-mate Weekes, ranked 33 in the world, has a first round encounter against Israel’s world No. 27 Adam Berdichevsky.

The men’s open doubles begins on Saturday, where Weekes and Dunn will start their tournament against the Brazilian team of Gustavo Carneio Silva and Daniel Rodrigues.

Watch the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games live and free on Seven and 7plus from August 24 – September 5.

By: Paralympics Australia
Posted: 26 August 2021