Shingo Kunieda lifts eighth French Open wheelchair singles title Incredible | Tennisspeak

 

Shingo Kunieda lifts eighth French Open wheelchair singles title Incredible | Tennisspeak

Shingo Kunieda won his eighth French Open men’s wheelchair singles final — and his first in four years — on Saturday.

The 38-year-old second seed defeated third-seeded Gustavo Fernandez of Argentina 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 to add to his long list of career accomplishments including three Paralympic gold medals. It was Kunieda’s 27th win in 38 meetings against his doubles partner.

Saturday’s victory, which took two hours and 41 minutes, was the Japanese star’s first in the French capital since 2018. After winning the Tokyo Paralympic singles title, Kunieda said he was burning out and considered “quitting every day” but became reinvigorated after his championship in January’s Australian Open.

In the women’s singles final, top-seeded Dutchwoman Diede de Groot continued her mastery of Japan’s Yui Kamiji with a 16th win in 17 meetings between the two.

Her 6-4, 6-1 victory, in a match played out on Roland Garros’ showpiece Court Philippe Chartrier, gave the 25-year-old a third French Open title and 14th Slam overall.

In the women’s doubles final, Japan’s Yui Kamiji and South Africa’s Kgothatso Montjane, the second seeds, lost to the top seeds, Diede De Groot and Aniek Van Koot of the Netherlands, 6-4, 6-1.

Kunieda, meanwhile, will get a shot at another championship when he and Fernandez take on the top seeds, Great Britain’s Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid, in the men’s doubles final.