‘Saved my life’: Dylan Alcott’s sad reveal after Tokyo Paralympics triumph

Australian champion Dylan Alcott has revealed he will not compete at the Paris Paralympics in 2024 in an emotional interview.

TOKYO, JAPAN - SEPTEMBER 04: Gold medalist Dylan Alcott of Team Australia reacts in the podium of Men’s Quad Singles on day 11 of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games at Ariake Tennis Park on September 04, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Australian champion Dylan Alcott has revealed this year’s Paralympic Games in Tokyo will be his last.

On Saturday, the tennis star put himself one step closer to the illustrious “Golden Slam”, which involves winning all four grand slam tournaments and the Olympics or Paralympics in a single calendar year.

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Alcott defeated world No. 2 Sam Schroder in the quad singles gold medal match in straight sets 7-6 6-1 to cement his place as the greatest player in wheelchair tennis history.

The Golden Slam has only been achieved once before, by Steffi Graf in 1988, and Alcott can become the second to pull off the rare feat by claiming the US Open title later this month.

Speaking to Channel 7 after the triumph, an emotional Alcott announced he would not compete at the Paris Paralympics in 2024.

“I’ve worked really hard for this,” the 30-year-old said.

“I’m not coming back to the Paralympics ever again. I love the Paralympics so much; it means so much to me.

“Paralympics sport saved my life; honestly it did. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. I owe it so much.

“I’m so thankful and grateful that it came into my life, and that I can perform on this big stage … and change perceptions along the way of what people think about us, people with disabilities.

“Not every person with a disability can be a Paralympian, but they can be a doctor, a lawyer, a mum, a dad, a teacher, an educator, a politician, whatever it is; but they don’t often get the opportunities that we’ve got here to play sport.

“It means that much to me, it’s huge. And to get it done today was bloody awesome.

“It makes us feel worthy, it makes us feel loved ... I am gonna come home and drink 10,000 beers with everyone.”

Dylan Alcott is once again a Paralympic champion. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Although he’s just a few wins away from the Golden Slam, Alcott is currently more focused on properly celebrating his Paralympic triumph.

“Everyone’s been crapping on about the golden slam, but I couldn‘t care less right now. I’ve got to celebrate this for what it is, which is one of the biggest achievements of my career,” he said.

“It‘s the sweetest of all my wins because I got pushed. I shouldn’t have won.

“I had the expectations of the whole nation on my shoulders but I think Australia would have survived if I lost and I kept reminding myself of that.

“I was a kid who got bullied about his disability when he was 13 and I didn‘t think I had much of a life to live.

“I hated myself but I‘ve lived the best life of anybody that I’ve ever met and I’m so lucky. It just means so much to me.”

Australia. We did it. We bloody did it. Thank you every single one of you for making my dreams come true 💚💛#tokyo2020#paralympicspic.twitter.com/AA2Q02SdCE

— Dylan Alcott (@DylanAlcott) September 4, 2021

Go enjoy those beers Dylan Alcott. You bloody deserve them. #Tokyoparalympics2020@DylanAlcott

— Luke McGarry (@LukeMcGarry7) September 4, 2021

Alcott previously won Paralympic gold representing the Australian men’s wheelchair basketball team at the 2008 Beijing Games.

After switching to tennis, he then won two gold medals at the 2016 Rio Games in the quad singles and doubles.

Earlier this week, Alcott and Australian partner Heath Davidson lost their quad doubles gold medal match, bettered by Dutch duo Sam Schroder and Niels Vink in Tokyo.

Following his Wimbledon campaign earlier this year, Alcott hinted he may hang up the racquet to focus on other commitments.

“I don’t know how many years I have got left. I’m treating every opportunity like it is the last one,” he said in July.

“I do a lot of other stuff – helping my community, television, radio and I would like to do some acting and it’s hard to spin all the plates at once.

“I’m treating this like a potential last opportunity, but who knows? I might just keep coming back every year. We’ll see how it goes.”

– with Andrew McMurtry