The top four wheelchair tennis players in the world—Alfie Hewett, Tokito Oda, Martin De La Puente, and Gustavo Fernandez—kicked off their Paralympic tournament at Roland-Garros Stadium on Sunday.
Alfie Hewett (Great Britain), Tokito Oda (Japan), Martin De La Puente (Spain), and Gustavo Fernandez (Argentina) all advanced to the Round of 16, each having distinct matches.
Alfie Hewett, the top-ranked player globally, made an impressive debut in his first Paralympic tournament. The Norwich native won his match decisively and secured a spot in the last 16. “I was eagerly awaiting the matches to begin while others were playing and I was just practicing,” Hewett said.
He defeated Israel’s Segei Lysov in straight sets, dropping only one game. “He’s a player I wasn’t familiar with,” said the 26-year-old. “He was a good opponent to help me get into the rhythm of things.”
In his first match of the competition this Sunday, Oda faced off against Britain’s Ben Bartram. Despite a challenging match that extended to a tie-break in the second set (6-2, 7-6(4)), Oda prevailed. “He played really well; it was great tennis,” Oda remarked.
De La Puente made it look effortless. On court 14, Martin De La Puente defeated Argentina's Ezequiel Casco, the world number 3, with a commanding performance, losing only two games (6-2, 6-0). The Galician was thrilled by the close-knit atmosphere of the court, saying, “It’s very special because the fans are so close to the players. With my family in the stands, I felt right at home.” As he competes in his third Paralympic Games, the question remains: will he advance past the quarter-finals for the first time? The answer will come on Monday when he faces Dutchman Maikel Scheffers.
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