Alfie Hewett has advanced to the quarter-final stage of the men’s wheelchair singles competition at the French Open, while his British compatriot Gordon Reid was defeated in his opening round fixture.
The 28-year-old Hewett secured a victory over French wildcard Guilhem Laget with a score of 6-3, 6-0 on Court Suzanne Lenglen, a venue change necessitated by rainfall in the French capital.
This athlete, who holds 10 Grand Slam titles, has claimed the French Open championship three times, with his most recent triumph on the clay courts occurring in 2021.
His next opponent will be Ji Zhenxu from China, as they compete for a spot in the semi-final round scheduled for later this week.
Previously, the 34-year-old Reid suffered a defeat, 6-2, 6-4, at the hands of eight-time Grand Slam victor Tokito Oda in a contest that saw interruptions due to inclement weather.
This marks the initial instance since his debut at Roland Garros in 2013 that the Scottish player has not advanced to at least the quarter-final stage of the tournament.
Reid is set to return to play, partnering with Hewett in the men’s wheelchair doubles event on Wednesday, where they are scheduled to compete against the French-Brazilian duo of Frederic Cattaneo and Daniel Rodrigues.
This premier British pairing has successfully claimed victory in the last six consecutive men’s wheelchair doubles tournaments held in Paris.
Oda has demonstrated unparalleled dominance in the men’s wheelchair singles category during the preceding year, securing four consecutive Grand Slam championships.
The Japanese standout, having previously earned Paralympic gold on the Parisian clay courts in 2024, is additionally aiming for his fourth consecutive French Open title.
In other news, concerning the mixed doubles competition, the British player Neal Skupski and his American teammate Desirae Krawczyk were defeated in their quarter-final match with scores of 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 by the German-French duo of Laura Siegemund and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
