By teaming up to achieve a 2-1 triumph over Japan in Florida, Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid guided Great Britain to their fifth World Team Cup title.
The Japanese team entered the tournament as holders of the title, which serves as wheelchair tennis’s counterpart to the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup.
Nonetheless, a dominant 6-1 6-2 victory by Hewett and Reid in the decisive doubles rubber against Daisuke Arai and Tokito Oda reclaimed the trophy for Great Britain.
“Reclaiming this crown brings us immense joy,” remarked Reid, who previously hoisted the World Team Cup with Hewett in 2015, 2019, 2023, and 2024.
Hewett commented further: “This was our very first experience having the tie rest on a final doubles match, which makes succeeding in the end incredibly satisfying.
“Representing our nation is always an honor, and the camaraderie and energy among the entire squad have been exceptional throughout the week.”
On Saturday, Reid handed Great Britain an early advantage by comfortably defeating world number 21 Arai 6-2 6-2, maintaining his perfect 5-0 career record against the Japanese player.
Due to intense heat in Orlando, the subsequent singles match faced a delay, forcing Oda and Hewett to wait six hours before taking the court once conditions became cooler.
Only seven days after defeating the top-ranked player in the US Open singles final, Hewett fell just short of repeating that success, suffering a close 6-4 7-5 defeat.
“While it is disappointing not to have had a perfect day because of my singles defeat, the quality of the match was superb, decided only by a handful of critical points in each set,” he noted.
Nevertheless, Hewett recovered alongside Reid in the doubles to seal the victory for Britain, who—with 21-year-old Ben Bartram on the roster and Martyn Whait at the helm—built upon their previous triumphs over the Netherlands and South Korea earlier in the week.
