“Be proud and happy of who you are,” Aussie Legend Dylan Alcott shares his perspective about the future of tennis
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Dylan Alcott
Playing tennis itself is a hectic thing to do and when it comes to wheelchair tennis, it appears to be unattainable at first glance. There are, however, athletes who have overcome stereotypes and elevated the sport to new heights. Dylan Alcott, a former wheelchair tennis player who is also a radio show host, motivational speaker, and wheelchair basketball player, is one of them.
Over the course of his decorated career, Alcott has accomplished many extraordinary feats. He has also won a number of Grand Slam titles as well as Olympic gold medals. However, he recently said his final goodbyes to his stellar career after winning the Australian Open 2022 whilst carrying the Australian of the Year award on his shoulders. In a recent interview with Eurosport, Alcott offered advice to disabled tennis players and reminisced on his last moments on the court.
“My last run at the Australian Open was incredible. It was a beautiful celebration and all the messages from all around the world were pretty unreal. Heading into that final match I had both excitement and nerves. It had been a massive week. I’d won Australian of the Year, so I was flying around Australia and doing lots of stuff for that. I think that took its toll on me when I went out on the court. But I wouldn’t have it any other way because it was such a huge opportunity and a very humbling award to win, especially for the work I’ve done for the disability community. Obviously, I would have loved to win that final but I’m okay that I didn’t,” he expressed.
“The future is definitely bright for wheelchair tennis”- Dylan Alcott
Talking about his last match, Dylan Alcott didn’t forget to heap praises over his opponent Sam Schroder and unveiled that he thinks that “the future is definitely bright for wheelchair tennis”. He also expressed his gratitude for the numerous posts and messages he received from tennis players such as Victoria Azarenka, compatriot Ash Barty, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and others.
“I had heaps of messages afterwards – so many DMs and posts from tennis players like Vika Azarenka, Jannik Sinner, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Nick Kyrgios, Ash Barty and Thanasi Kokkinakis. I’m massively appreciative of their support in helping to normalise disability sport and put it in the mainstream. It was such a special end to a very special career and I’m very thankful for what we’ve achieved together because it’s not just down to me, it’s down to everybody who has gotten involved,” he said.
Amidst all the appreciations he received, Dylan was moved to tears during the press conference by a special message from Andy Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion. Afterwards, he couldn’t stop expressing his gratitude towards Murray for being such a wonderful friend.
In his words, “I received a beautiful message from Andy Murray during my final press conference. He watched my match with his daughters and said they were asking all these questions about disability because they could see us in wheelchairs. He said it was one of the first times he’s talked about disability with his kids and that he got emotional writing it to me, saying, ‘Thank you so much’.I honestly read it and started crying in the presser because that’s what it’s all about for me and what a legend he is! I’m forever grateful for us being mates. The fact that so many of the top, top tennis players actually care about wheelchair tennis is huge and if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for everybody.”
“Be proud and happy of who you are, just get out there and have a crack!”- Dylan Alcott
The 31-year-old then went on to say the things he wished he had heard when he was younger. He encouraged disabled children to be proud of themselves while embracing their constraints and using them to their advantage. Also, he believes that people should become involved and include persons with disabilities in their daily activities because it is the only way to keep moving forward.
“If I was to give any advice to my younger self or other kids in my position, it would be just be proud and happy of who you are, just get out there and have a crack! I used to hate myself and my disability so much, mostly because I was different. At the end of the day, we’re all different and we shy away from our differences because we want to be like everybody else, but as soon as I embraced my difference, which in my case was my disability, my life changed forever and everybody around me became more comfortable with that too,” he added.
“So my message for any non-disabled person when being inclusive with someone with a disability is just be as normal as possible. If you take away the fact that I’m in a wheelchair then who am I? I’m just a normal person. There is no such thing as a bad or a dumb question, as long as you create a rapport with that person and deliver it in the right way. Actually, the worst thing you can do is not ask questions and exclude a disabled person accidentally – whether that’s in your employment, in education, in sport, in your personal life like dating, whatever it is. The best way to learn is through someone’s lived experience so don’t be afraid to say ‘G’day!’ and get involved. Integrate someone with a disability in whatever you do because that’s the only way we can do it and keep pushing forward,” the legend concluded.
What are Dylan Alcott’s post-retirement plans ?
Dylan Alcott is not going to stop campaigning for differently-abled athletes, even though he stopped swinging his rackets.
However, with the news of his retirement, the Golden Slam winner also discussed his plans for the future. He confirmed his interest in politics, and he plans to run for office in the near future. Furthermore, Dylan Alcott had a long history of working with charities and foundations. Because of his efforts to Australians with disabilities off the court, he was named to the Australian Disability Sports Hall of Fame.
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Pritha Ghosh
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