THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 14, 2024

Alfie Hewett

Press Conference

A. HEWETT/M. de la Puente

6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Alfie, you've finally got that Wimbledon singles title. How does it feel?

ALFIE HEWETT: Yeah, it's obviously a special feeling. Last couple years have been difficult coming away from Wimbledon, but I can leave this time with my head held high. So very happy.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I watched your match two years ago. Obviously an epic final. That was on Court 3. Today you were on Court 1. Does it feel even more special to do it on such an historic court?

ALFIE HEWETT: Yeah, I felt like the last couple years has really been picking up a lot of momentum in wheelchair tennis.

I'm not like a massively spiritual person or anything like that. I don't know, I just felt like something was holding me back over these last few years. It was making me wait for a reason. Today was that reason.

To be out there in front of 10,000 people, Court No. 1, literally everyone there, aside my brother, who I would want to be there from family and friends, it just felt like it had a meant-to-be feeling around today.

Yeah, yesterday was a tough day, having a complete rest day. Obviously just left to your own thoughts. To be able to live a dream out there today and make a memory that will go down in history for everyone around me and obviously for myself, as well.

Q. What did it mean to you to actually win here at Wimbledon? What are your hopes for the future in terms of future Grand Slams?

ALFIE HEWETT: Yeah, I'll be honest. I probably haven't processed it fully yet because obviously as soon as I finished, I had to get prep done for the doubles. Obviously we've literally just finished doubles as well.

I don't think it's really sunk in at the moment. Obviously the initial feelings or emotions were just relief. This was weighing heavy on my shoulders for a long time. If I'm being honest, the minute I lost last year, I don't think there was a single day that I didn't think about being back here and change the narrative.

When you've won seven out of the eight Grand Slams, a lot of people talk about the eighth. It had to be this one. That was the eighth.

It felt like, yeah, there was more pressure. For a British player to win Wimbledon, it's a huge thing. So many reasons why it's big for me personally, it's big for the sport, it's big for tennis, it's big for British tennis. It's really been picking up and growing.

If there was a time to do it, it was now. I feel really proud that I can be that person to, like, hold the flag almost. Selfishly and personally, to be able to get the career Grand Slam means everything. I know only one other male player in wheelchair tennis has done that, which is Shingo Kunieda, not a bad person to be along with.

So much relief and euphoria really with my team. I've never seen half my team cry before, so that was new. That got me choked up. Obviously looking up and seeing everyone, my family and friend, be in tears. They've walked away feeling just as devastated and disappointed over the last few years.

Every year you think, Is it going to be my year? Is it going to be this year? I have my expectations quite high being top 2 in the world for the last three or four years. Even just making the final isn't good enough. A lot of people would be happy for that, but for me it's not.

Yeah, I know next year when I come back, I will be a lot more relaxed and chilled out. I experienced that in Australia this year. I didn't win it, but at least I slept, and I had a good time in Melbourne (smiling).

I can just fully focus on I think me as a player now. Wimbledon was such a big motivator. It made me train hard. I've got to find another reason now to get up. I mean, the nature of the sport anyway, you have to. It's part and parcel of it. The Paralympics are just around the corner. I don't think I'll need much inspiration to get back on court.

Yeah, it was a long-life ambition today. To achieve that is, yeah, special. I'm going to enjoy every moment of it.

Q. The Paralympics, how much is gold in both the singles and the doubles the big target?

ALFIE HEWETT: Give me a break (laughter). Christ...

Q. You've kind of won both career slams, to finish off the summer the best you can.

ALFIE HEWETT: It's interesting. Wimbledon comes around every year, so you know you're going to get another opportunity.

The Paralympics I feel is slightly different because it's once every four years. It depends on how long I stay in the sport for. It depends on how many chances I'll get.

I don't believe I'll put that pressure on myself the same way as I probably put the pressure on myself with Wimbledon and completing all the other slams, as well.

But, of course, when that is the only achievement not in your locker, it's going to be on your mind. Me and Gordon have talked about it for a long time. We've had two silver medals there. We go in as strong contenders for the doubles gold. We'll be hungry for that. As a singles player as well, I've experienced a silver medal and a bronze medal match as well.

Expectations will be high. Right now I'm not even thinking about that. I need to allow my brain to relax and enjoy this and celebrate and chill out. Then, yeah, I think in a couple weeks I'll be fully focused on that.

Q. The man you are now, reflecting back on the path the last three years since the last Paras, do you feel like you've had a second chance? Do you feel like you're making the most of this? It could have all been taken away from you.

ALFIE HEWETT: Yeah, certainly when I reflect on the whole classification process, it gave me a different perspective on my tennis. The 18 months I was going through the uncertainty was difficult. I learnt a lot on and off the court.

Enjoying the moment is such a big thing because there was a possibility that I never had that moment again in the future. But once that got reversed and I was eligible to continue to play the sport, certainly there was a new lease of life and a massive weight taken off my shoulders. I could start to build a future again. For nearly two years, I couldn't look too far ahead. It was all about the here and the now.

I think in this game it's important to see short, mid, and long-term. Now I can do that. It's not about trying to complete the set any more. It's my legacy. It's maybe enjoying it a bit more, trying to grow the sport and continue to be better obviously and win as much as I possibly can.

Yeah, it was part of my journey. It certainly sculpted me as a stronger character and made me more resilient. I definitely think you see that out there on the court. When back is against the wall, I'll certainly not one to back down. That whole process taught me that.

Q. In the past two years and this year, you played three different players from different generations. Shingo is older, Tokito is younger, and Martin might be same generation to you. Talk a little bit about the differences of these three players and how much wheelchair tennis has evolved in your four years.

ALFIE HEWETT: Yeah, they're all really impressive players. Shingo, I don't think I have to say much about Shingo. His accomplishments speak for themselves.

Tokito is new and fresh on the block, is taking the wheelchair tennis community by storm with the talent that he has.

Martin has been there for a long while. We played Junior Masters back in 2013 or something like that together. We shared the doubles court back 11 years ago now.

He's been on a similar journey to me. He works so hard. I mean, they all have incredible work ethic. I think that's what I see in the men's game of wheelchair tennis is the determination to get better and improve.

The players around them are getting better. You can see they're getting stronger. The ball is faster. It's more exciting to watch. There's so many elements of it being more professional month-on-month and tournament-by-tournament. Shingo led the way. Shingo was a great ambassador for all of that. Really worked hard, looked at all the fine margins.

Tokito has a similar mindset. I would put myself in that bracket. There's a handful, if not more, that also live tennis. It's their career. It's almost like their everything. Martin is certainly one of them.

When you have that sort of mindset and you bring that day in, day out, the sport is going evolve. It's going to get better. I think you're really seeing that out on court.

Q. You mentioned a few times the support you had today. Tell us more about who they were and why they were so special for everybody to be there.

ALFIE HEWETT: Just all the people that have been there on my journey really, aside my brother, who is offshore at the moment who is gutted because he's been at Wimbledon every single year and he missed the one that I've actually won.

All my family. My parents, my grandparents. My twin sister. My closest friends, their friends. There were just so many people. Obviously my granddad being a big one because we did a lot together when we were younger. He was pretty much my chauffeur, the guy that would take care of me and take me to training. He's been ill recently.

It was really special for him to be there today. He hasn't seen me play live for over three years now. It meant a lot for him to be in the stands, and obviously see the rest of my family. We've all been going through the process of someone who is terminally ill and going through a lot.

To look up and be... I don't know, I feel like you brought joy on people close to you, it's very touching.