Ziying Wang has become the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam wheelchair singles title.
Wang beat Yui Kamiji, the No.1 seed, 6-3, 6-3 to become the ladies’ Wheelchair singles champion on No.3 Court.
Kamiji had been attempting to become just the fourth woman in this discipline to complete the Career Golden Slam – winning all four majors and Paralympic gold – and had beaten Wang in eight of their nine previous meetings.
“I still don’t have any feelings about being Wimbledon champion,” an emotional and elated Wang said afterwards.
“I still feel like I’m playing the match at the moment.
“But I’m very happy to win and very excited, because it’s a breakthrough in Chinese history and for our sport, so my heart is filled with excitement and very emotional. It’s unbelievable.
“I think being Wimbledon champion will be able to inspire younger Chinese Wheelchair tennis players.
“It will show that as long as you work hard, you can make your dreams come true. So it will show them that in this journey to chase your dreams, there will be difficulties, but as long as you are persistent, you will be able to be successful.”
Wang broke Kamiji seven times in the match, and hit 55 winners – 20 more than her opponent. The 26-year-old from Sichuan was nerveless as she closed in on the title.
In the gentlemen’s Wheelchair doubles final on No.1 Court, the No.1 seeds and two-time defending champions Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid faced the No.2 seeds Martin De La Puente and Ruben Spaargaren, the Britons aiming to clinch the title for a seventh time.
But the Spanish/Dutch duo rose to the occasion and took the win 7-6(1), 7-5 in a thrilling contest that lasted two-and-a-half hours.
“In the US Open, I also played the Brits in the final. But here in Wimbledon, the crowd was amazing, court one was packed. This one will rest in my memory for a long time,” said De La Puente, a US Open doubles champion in 2022.
“We know that Alfie and Gordon play amazing tennis. They’re almost unbeatable and I think we did an incredible job. We’re Wimbledon champions, baby!”
Spaargaren, winning his first Grand Slam title, admitted the victory had come as a bit of a surprise.
“Last week, we played them [at the British Open] and we lost 6-0, 6-2 in the final,” the Dutchman said.
Hewett and Reid were going for a 24th Grand Slam title as a pair, and their third in a row at Wimbledon.
In the quad Wheelchair doubles final, the No.1 seeds Niels Vink and Guy Sasson beat the unseeded duo Donald Ramphadi of South Africa and Gregory Slade of Great Britain.
Vink/Sasson, of the Netherlands and Israel respectively, needed just one hour and five minutes to seal a 6-0, 6-2 victory.
“It’s an amazing tournament and it’s a great feeling to be Wimbledon champion with Niels,” Sasson said.
“We started playing together this year. Being here at Wimbledon as the champions – I feel honoured and lucky to be able to do it.”
The win gave Vink his 10th Quad Grand Slam title and Sasson his second, after the pair won at this year’s Roland-Garros.
“I’m very happy to win our first Wimbledon title together – this is my fourth straight Wimbledon title in a row, so it’s very special for me,” Vink said.
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