Skip to main content
12221
Go to International Paralympic Committee homepage Official website of the Paralympic Movement
Contrast:
High Contrast
Normal Contrast
Enlargement:
Larger Font Size
Default Font Size
Smaller Font Size
    • Home
    • Paralympic Games
    • Events & Competitions
    • The IPC
    • Results, Rankings & Records
    • Media centre
    • Sports
    • Classification
    • Videos
    • Athletes
    • Fan Zone
    • NPCs
    • Agitos Foundation
    • Partnerships
    • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
    • Instagram

    Media Centre

    • News
    • Blogs
    • Newsletter
    • Magazine
    • Athlete of Month
    • Media Office
    • Ones to Watch
    • Campaigns
    • Top 10 Moments

    Wimbledon 2018: Stefan Olsson seals back-to-back titles

    16.07.2018

    Swede emulates women's champion De Groot and wins second Grand Slam

    Men holding and kissing a small trophy Sweden's Stefan Olsson with the trophy after winning Wimbledon 2018 men's wheelchair final © • Henry Browne/Getty Images for Tennis Foundation
    By ITF and IPC
    Listen to this page using ReadSpeaker

    The puzzle piece missing for Stefan Olsson slotted into place after the birth of his son Vincenzo early last year, and the Swede believes it is no coincidence that he has not lost a wheelchair singles match at Wimbledon in the two championships since.

    Olsson, the sixth seed, dropped his first set of the tournament in Sunday’s final against Gustavo Fernandez of Argentina, but won the match 6-2, 0-6, 6-3 to defend his title and add a second Grand Slam to the pair won in doubles in 2009-10.

    "Before, I was just ‘tennis, tennis, tennis’ and now I have my whole family. It’s something that I think I missed, one piece of the puzzle that got in and everything just clicked"

    Fatherhood, he believes, has been a key factor.

    “I am pretty sure that is one of the reasons why I am playing so well all the time now,’’ said Olsson, who missed last year’s Australian Open to be present for wife Miriami’s delivery of Vincenzo.

    “I don’t really have any downs, playing so well. Much because of him, because I have something else to focus on as well. Before, I was just ‘tennis, tennis, tennis’ and now I have my whole family. It’s something that I think I missed, one piece of the puzzle that got in and everything just clicked.”

    Emulating Diede de Groot, also the first player to go back-to-back in the women’s singles, Olsson said both titles were immensely satisfying. “It’s still unbelievable to win twice,” he said. “I was so nervous.

    “I am still trying to calm down after the match. I can’t compare them at the moment, it is so big – the biggest thing in my tennis career, for sure.”

    Olsson had been responsible for one of the highlights of the tournament when he fell out of his wheelchair during a long rally in Saturday’s doubles final loss with partner Joachim Gerard against British pair Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid, then righted himself to play a winning forehand crosscourt.

    There was a different type of drama in the singles, as his wife and son again watched on. The Swede had not lost more than four games in any set of his four played en route to the final, and he continued that exceptional form early against Fernandez, who had eliminated top seed Shingo Kuneida in the opening round.

    But Olsson failed to win a game at all in the second set against the heavy-hitting Fernandez, whose powerful game is well-suited to grass.

    “I got nervous, I got really nervous and I just lost control of my serve,’’ Olsson said. “As soon as I hit my double fault, I was like ‘why did you do that?’ And then some bad spell. Then you were thinking too much and he took advantage straight away.

    “He played really well, every shot pretty much was on the line and everything. It was so difficult. I am just happy that I got back, refocused and was ready to go for the third set.”

    Women's doubles

    The winner’s cheque of £40,000 helps the 31-year-old to make a basic living, if not a terribly good one, and, without any endorsements, the harsh reality is that he needs to reach the semi-finals of most tournaments he plays. But Olson says he does have one sponsor at the moment: Wimbledon.

    It is not so terribly different for Diede de Groot, the singles champion who became the first woman to complete the wheelchair double, by combining with Japan’s Yui Kamiji to defeat third seeds Sabine Ellerbrock and Lucy Shuker 6-1, 6-1.

    Kamiji’s fifth consecutive Wimbledon doubles title was her first partnering de Groot, who was initially unaware of the history she had just made. The Dutch 21-year-old rated it as the best week of her career. “Wimbledon for me will always be very special,’’ said De Groot, who won the first singles major of her short career at the All England Club last year, and now owns three.

    Read more at https://www.itftennis.com/news/288640.aspx#3qv40dXr98f6WOiG.99

    Related News
    Wimbledon 2018: Diede De Groot finishes top
    Olsson and De Groot net first Grand Slam titles
    Ones to Watch for wheelchair tennis announced
    Roland Garros: Japan’s singles success
    NHK to feature Shingo Kunieda in anime series
    • Tweet
      • print
      • send
    LATEST NEWS
    Nadezhda Fedorova suspended for anti-doping violation 05.08.2019 Nadezhda Fedorova suspended for anti-doping violation
    Nottwil 2019: USA top table as Junior Worlds conclude 05.08.2019 Nottwil 2019: USA top table as Junior Worlds conclude
    Nottwil 2019: Breathless third day 04.08.2019 Nottwil 2019: Breathless third day
    Nottwil 2019: Noah Malone makes his way 03.08.2019 Nottwil 2019: Noah Malone makes his way
    Vote for July’s Athlete of the Month 02.08.2019 Vote for July’s Athlete of the Month
    More news...following the link
    Worldwide Paralympic Partners
    Go to Atos partner page
    Go to Bridgestone partner page
    Go to OttoBock partner page
    Go to Panasonic partner page
    Go to Samsung partner page
    Go to Toyota partner page
    Go to Visa partner page
    International Partners
    Go to Allianz partner page
    Go to BP partner page
    Go to Citi partner page
    • FAQ
    • Privacy
    • Imprint
    • Jobs
    Powered by Go to Atos. Worldwide IPC partner page
    The Paralympic Games
    Summer Games
    Winter Games
    Sochi 2014
    Rio 2016
    All the results & medallist since 1960
    Games video archive
    About the IPC
    Who we are
    Anti-Doping
    Medical
    Partners
    IPC Strategic Plan 2015-2018
    IPC Handbook
    Publications and Documents
    Media Centre
    News
    Features & Interviews
    The Paralympian
    Videos
    Athlete of the Month
    Media Office
    Sports
    Summer Sports
    Winter Sports
    Biographies
    NPCS
    Africa
    America
    Asia
    Europe
    Oceania
    Go to International Paralympic Committee homepage
    Official Website of the Paralympic Movement • IPC
    Homepage
    Paralympic Games
    The IPC
    Results, Ranking & Records
    Media Centre
    Videos
    Sports
    International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
    Adenauerallee 212-214, 53113 Bonn, Germany
    Telephone: +49-228-2097-200 • Fax: +49-228-2097-209 • E-mail: info@paralympic.org
    02:54:54