This past week and a half, the luminous blue from the Australian Open courts has streamed into our living rooms. The familiar pace, spin and accuracy has been played. And the fortnight has almost passed in which you think of little more than who will make the finals.
But on Wednesday night, there was something different happening in Melbourne Park. Something more to think about.
The echo of pumping of tyres, balls on racquets and breathless breaths could be heard reverberating from the hollow stadium. The Australian Open men’s quad wheelchair singles championship match was being played.
Australia’s world no.1 quad wheelchair tennis player Dylan Alcott was battling for his seventh consecutive Australian Open title against Netherland’s Sam Schröder.
The competitors took to Margaret Court Arena after 11pm when most of the country was sleeping; it was a match that was set to be aired in prime time, in television’s golden hours on Rod Laver Arena. But when Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas’ quarter-final went into a fifth, it was decided to play the match on Margaret Court Arena instead.
Alcott has spoken previously about having no disabled people in the media for him to look up to when growing up.
“When I turned on the TV or the radio, and flicked to the newspaper, I never saw anyone like me. That's what I struggled with the most”.
Fans could have lived on every bounce, serve, and forehand from their homes with a new feeling that every ball and moment on court was something to breathe in and celebrate.
People with disability could have been on their TVs, something that neither Dylan or so many others like myself had when growing up. Not seeing anyone like you in the media can leave you feeling that there’s no one like you, and that you’ll be like no one else in success, or even every day life.
Wednesday night’s match could have been something for the country and world to tune into and witness something that was more than just tennis out there. It could have been: nerves, excitement, and a world no.1 tennis player representing our country on centre court. But it still hasn’t been seen.
Alcott said that, “I’ll play at 3am on the car park to be honest because it’s just an honour to be here”.
The sport of tennis doesn't care where you come from, your background, you have to earn it to play. And that’s what Alcott and Schröder have done.
On Thursday morning, Alcott won his seventh quad wheelchair men’s singles Australian Open title and his 12th grand slam overall, defeating Schröder 6-1, 6-0.
