Andy Lapthorne has won some of the biggest prizes in tennis but claims few things will top his first-round win at the Paralympics.
Lapthorne, the number four seed in the men’s wheelchair tennis quad singles, defeated Peru’s Diego Perez 6-4 6-3 on the Suzanne Langlin Show Court at Roland Garros.
After a 6-2 6-1 win over Brazil’s Yamanito Silva, he now faces Canada’s Robert Shaw in the last eight.
“I’m so speechless right now,” Lapthorne said.
“Playing in front of a crowd like that really took my breath away, I feel so emotional.
You come to Paris and you don’t expect a lot of support and to have a full Suzanne Langlin stadium come to see a disability game is quite heart-warming. For me, it’s one of the best experiences of my life. I’ve won Grand Slams, I’ve won some big tournaments but out there, this was at the top of the list.
This is the first time that Paralympic wheelchair tennis has been played at a Grand Slam venue, with the London 2012 Olympics being held at Lee Valley rather than Wimbledon.
Lapthorne, 33, is a 14-time Grand Slam champion in doubles and has two silver and one bronze medals in his last three Paralympic events.
It was probably not the best match I’ve ever played, he added.
“When you’re playing on a court full of people, it’s a tough game to play and he played a great match. I just grinded my way through it and used the crowd and pulled me in the right direction. So he was able to use energy.
“At the end of the day, it’s about winning and I was able to do that. We’ll go into the next round, it won’t be an easy match but after that, we’re flying.
Lapthorne even vowed to entertain the crowd with an air guitar celebration, though he admitted that might be a little out of character.
“I don’t know what I was doing, to be honest,” he said.
“I know Rafa Nadal loves it here and I’ve seen him do it before. Crazy things happen when you’re in front of so many people and have so much energy coming your way.” There’s an incredible buzz and it’s amazing to experience it.”
