GWR 2024 Look Inside - Flipbook - Page 10
2: At the most recent Paralympic Games, Shingo
earned his third singles gold medal. Succeeding
on home soil clearly meant a lot to him: “It’s a
dream because after Rio [2016] I had an injury
and I thought many times of retiring,” he revealed.
“So I can’t believe it.”
1: In 2022, Shingo celebrated his record-breaking
“Career Slams”, including a Super Slam in singles:
that’s winning all four Grand Slams (Australian
Open, US Open, French Open and Wimbledon),
Paralympic gold and the end-of-year Masters title.
Diede de Groot (below) achieved this in 2021.
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Shingo has used a wheelchair since recovering from a spinal
tumour at the age of nine. Having initially taken an interest
in basketball, at 11 years old he was introduced to wheelchair
tennis by his mother. Within a decade, he had come to dominate
the sport, rising up the rankings to world No.1.
The shelves of his trophy cabinet were soon groaning,
but one prize eluded him: a singles title at Wimbledon. That
changed on 10 Jul 2022, at the age of 38, after a three-set
thriller against the UK’s Alfie Hewett. His 50th major represents
the most Grand Slam tennis titles won – by any player. Having
already triumphed at other events, he also became the first
male wheelchair-tennis player to earn a Career Grand Slam,
Golden Slam and Super Slam in singles (see 1).
Inscribed on all Shingo’s racquets are the words “I’m the
strongest”. With such unprecedented success, it was clearly
a conviction only surpassed by innate talent on the court.
ith a record-smashing 50 Grand Slams to his name,
Japanese tennis icon Shingo Kunieda hung up his
racquet in Jan 2023, announcing his retirement.
W
2
SHINGO KUNIEDA
TENNIS TITANS
1
8, including
most Grand Slam
wheelchair singles
tennis titles (male)
No.1
Hard court
Highest rank
Preferred
surface
Singles: 28
Doubles: 22
Grand Slam
titles
Current
GWR titles
21 Feb 1984
Birth date
Gold: 4
Bronze: 2
Tokyo, Japan
Birthplace
Paralympic
medals
Shingo Kunieda
Name
VITAL STATISTICS