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The tennis Grand Slam is so uncommon that only five players can claim a person, and no participant at all has realized the feat considering that 1988. The Golden Slam, winning all 4 majors and a gold medal in the same 12 months, is approximately unachievable. Only Steffi Graf had ever accomplished it.
Until finally Sunday, when it was completed 2 times.
Very first came Diede de Groot of the Netherlands, who received the wheelchair level of competition at the U.S. Open up to entire a sweep of the year’s four Grand Slam tournaments to go with her Paralympic gold medal.
Later in the day, Dylan Alcott of Australia accomplished the same feat in the men’s quad occasion. (As opposed to individuals in the wheelchair division like de Groot, quad gamers also have major decline of operate in at least one particular upper limb.)
De Groot defeated Yui Kamiji of Japan, the identical girl she defeated in Australia, France and at the Paralympics, 6-3, 6-2. Her Golden Slam nearly did not get started out this 12 months: She necessary a third-set tiebreaker to conquer Kamiji at the Australian Open up.
In spite of the accomplishment, De Groot, 24, stated she felt a minimal permit down by her play: “After these a extensive time of touring and just staying almost everywhere in the environment, also I feel both equally of us are a small little bit drained. I feel you could see it in the match, regrettably.”
Sunday’s Open up championship was the 12th in a Grand Slam singles function for De Groot, however at the rear of the file of 21 set by her countrywoman Esther Vergeer in the early portion of this century.
Alcott defeated the 18-12 months-aged Niels Vink of the Netherlands, 7-5, 6-2, to comprehensive his personal Golden Slam. It was Alcott’s 15th Grand Slam singles title. Mainly because the quad party is only a few decades aged at the French Open and Wimbledon, it was the 1st chance for any quad athlete to get a Golden Slam.
“Everybody in this place requested me, ‘Are you considering about the Golden Slam?’” said Alcott, 30. “I’ve stated, ‘No, I don’t genuinely care about it,’ all calendar year. Of training course I cared about it. It’s nice not to faux anymore.”
In 1988, Graf stated following finishing her Golden Slam at the Seoul Olympics: “I’m incredibly enthusiastic. It’s anything not lots of persons following me will attain.”
It took 33 many years. And then it only took a couple of hours.
