THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 9, 2022

Alfie Hewett

Gordon Reid

Press Conference

FERNANDEZ-KUNIEDA/Hewett-Reid

6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Tough loss today. Just give us your thoughts.

ALFIE HEWETT: Yeah, obviously disappointed not to continue our run in the Grand Slams and get the win today. Yeah, it was a difficult match.

They played pretty well. I think we were probably a little bit tired from yesterday. So, yeah, difficult one to take.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Even though it didn't go your way today, you've achieved something amazing in doubles. Shingo sat there, a legend of our sport, and said you are the best doubles partnership. How does that feel when you hear somebody like Shingo say that about you?

GORDON REID: It was very nice of him to say. Yeah, I mean, he's at the moment the greatest men's wheelchair tennis player there's ever been. Obviously that's high praise coming from him.

Yeah, I mean, like Alfie said, we're really proud of the run we've had. Unfortunately circumstances didn't help us to continue that today.

At the end of the day we gave it our best shot and just came second best to the better team.

Q. Seems like years ago, that loss to Stefan and Joe. It seemed like after that loss, it really spurred you on. That was the start of this remarkable run. How much hunger is there now to come out at the next slam and go, No, you're not getting it again?

GORDON REID: Yeah, there's lots of hunger, we want to keep improving, keep adding to the titles.

This year so far in Australia and in France, we were just trying to find a way to win when I was really not hundred percent physically. I'm hoping that's kind of put to one side and that's finished with now.

Hopefully we can now push on and try to improve, go out there both 100%, try to perform to our best.

Q. What's next for you two as a doubles partnership? Will you be at the British Open next week?

GORDON REID: I will.

ALFIE HEWETT: At the moment, I'm going to be there. At the moment (smiling).

Q. I wanted to ask about your comments yesterday, Alfie. You said you couldn't sleep because you found out you was going to be on Court 1. There's been a lot of talk about the future of wheelchair tennis in terms of more warmup events. What do you think the future of wheelchair tennis looks like in the next three to five years? Have you received any communication from the ATP about doing something like that in the future?

ALFIE HEWETT: Yeah, I think first of all, obviously grateful for what the Uniqlo tour does for us. They provide tournaments all around the world for everyone at all different levels.

We have a very good system in place from players that want to get involved in the sport, work their way up. At the elite as well.

Obviously for us at the moment, being at the top of the sport, we want to just keep pushing and head in the right direction, make it even more professional, make it grow as big as we can because we won't be playing this sport forever. There will be an end day at some point.

Obviously we want to selfishly make the most of it. Right now we're in a place where we're doing really well. It's getting a lot more exposure, whether it be at the slams or trying to increase the participation in the ATP or WTA events, I think it's happening. I think we're on the right trajectory towards that.

There's a lot obviously that has to be put in place. There's not a lot that we as players can do apart from just voice our wishes, which is, of course, we want to have more warmup events before each Grand Slam, would like to be integrated, of course, at many ATP and WTA events as possible.

But it's making sure that the whole tour is balanced out, that it's not just for the top 16, 32 in the world, but it's for everyone. Making a system that is fit for everyone to be able to get from the bottom to the top.

So, yeah, obviously there's a lot to be able to achieve that. I think we're making good in-roads. Hopefully yesterday was a steppingstone in that.

Q. Do you think if there were more expanded draws, that would be able to happen in the future?

ALFIE HEWETT: Yeah, I think that's definitely one thing that can help. At the moment, Roland Garros obviously was 12, the US Open is looking like 16, so that's now happening, which is great.

We'll see the consequences from that maybe next year, in a couple of years. I can guarantee the players that are now ranked 20 to 16 will have more of an incentive and motivation to practice and get better and improve because there's a chance they would be at a Grand Slam, whereas previously that wouldn't probably be the case.

That can only improve the quality of tennis. Hopefully the standard will get better and there will be a lot more competition, and maybe a few more familiar faces to do interviews with, as well.