Tag: tennis

Anna McBride standing holding her trophy from winning the women's singles at the Australian Open

Anna McBride Aces Three Consecutive Wins in Australia 

By William Moncrieff, Communications Coordinator  

Anna McBride continues her fantastic run of tennis, taking the title at the Australian Open (AO) 2025 Intellectual Disability Championships (24-26 January). 

It’s the third time that the Australian Open has hosted the annual Intellectual Disability (ID) Championships and Deaf Championships, providing opportunities for players from, “diverse backgrounds to compete at an international level”.  

“The Australian Open is my favorite event, the stuff we get access to and the way we are treated is really good”, said Anna.  

Furthermore, the Scot has an unbeaten singles record in Melbourne.  

“I’ve won the singles three times in a row and the doubles twice before. I came second this time.”  

“For me, winning feels incredible, because to win once is an achievement but to win three times is really cool.” 

Anna believes that one of the possible reasons for her continued success at the Australian Open is down to the standards of play. “I love playing against the best players because you want to compare yourself against the best. It’s all the top players in the world, there are no easy matches.” 

Performing against world class players is not an easy feat. Anna explained how it took her a couple of matches to get into the tournament. “The first match I was a little bit nervous. I played my way into the event and by the time I played the final I felt really good.” 

However, coming up against a familiar face in the final assured her that she had the ability to make it three in a row: “I played a French girl called Eva Blanc in the final, I played her in September, I won but it was a 3 set match, but this time I won 6-1 6-1, so I was super happy about that.” 

Despite the intensity of the event, there was still time in Melbourne to connect with friends, including teammate and Young Persons’ Sport Panel member, Aidan Moody.  

Anna said: “Me and Aidan had a great time in Australia. We are really good friends.”  

“I just love the experience we get, and to win the whole thing feels incredible.” 

Anna McBride and Aidan Moody smiling togetherAidan said, “Playing at the Australian Open for a second time was an amazing opportunity and experience for me, and a challenge to test myself against the world’s top players in Learning Disability tennis.”

He continued to say: “As it was my second time I felt more relaxed and confident, and was excited to show how my game has progressed. This time I managed to reach the semi-finals in the men’s singles beating the world No 6 from Australia. This was a huge win for me and I was really proud my hard work and preparation had paid off. In the doubles me and my partner, Olly from GB, retained our runners up position losing out to a very strong pairing. 
“I absolutely loved playing on the Grand Slam courts again and being treated as a professional. One morning Jannik Sinner was training 2 courts down from me at the National Tennis Centre! I was also lucky to watch the Australian No1, Alex de Minaur, on the Rod Laver court – the atmosphere was fantastic that night. 
As well as the tennis, it was great meeting up with friends I have met at other events. It was a memorable and amazing trip for us all,” concluded Aidan. 
Close up photo of Aidan Moody hitting a tennis ball

Along with spending time with friends, accomplishing three in a row in front of family will be a fond memory for Anna, who commented, “I love it. Obviously they want the best for me, they’re always happy when I do well, they are really supportive of me. Obviously we have a great time after tennis, we try not to make it all about tennis.” 

Moving forward, Anna is looking at how she can continue to progress and perform at the highest level, commenting that she would, “want to keep playing in the GB set up.”  

She is also eager to continue her winning streak in Australia: “I would love to play in the Australian Open next year if I get invited back. It’s really good fun, I just love it really.” 

If you would like to find your passion for sport, contact your Regional Development Manager. Alternatively, to take part in a range of sports and activities in one location, register for one of Scottish Disability Sport’s (SDS) Parasport Festivals. 

To keep up-to-date with all things disability sport across Scotland, follow Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, Instagram and X. 

Gordon Reid having just hit the tennis ball. He is playing on clay and is wearing his ParalympicsGB kit.

Gordon Reid Wins Sixth Straight Australian Open Title in Wheelchair Doubles

The victory alongside Alfie Hewett brings Reid’s Majors tally in doubles to a record 26 titles.

By Paul Morrison

Scotland’s Gordon Reid was victorious once again in Melbourne as the tennis legend clinched a sixth consecutive Australian Open title in the wheelchair doubles event.

Gordon sealed the championship on Friday (24th) morning with long-time doubles partner Alfie Hewett, defeating the pairing of Daniel Caverzaschi and Stephane Houdet in straight sets.

The championship saw Gordon earn his 26th Grand Slam title in men’s doubles – extending his lead in the all-time records – while it also serves as the 22nd major that the British duo have won together.

The Australian Open success extends the pair’s unbeaten start to the 2025 season in doubles, following last week’s Melbourne Wheelchair Open win.

Following the win, the 33-year-old Scot said that, “Never accepting and expecting to win and always trying to push ourselves” is the key to their success.

Gordon was also in action in the men’s singles tournament at the Australian Open as the 2016 champion defeated Belgium’s Joachim Gerard in the first round before falling to fourth seed Gustavo Fernandez in a tight quarter-final contest.

Coming into the doubles tournament as top seeds and five-time defending champions, Gordon and Alfie began their title defense in the quarter-final by quickly dispatching of Japanese duo Daisuke Arai and Takuya Miki 6-2, 6-0 in a one-sided contest that lasted just over an hour.

The semi-final saw the British duo face Martin de la Puente and Ruben Spaargaren from Spain and the Netherlands. While facing a tougher test against their opponents to reach the final, Gordon and Alfie battled through to win the match in straight sets, with a single break being enough to take both sets.

Fans in the UK would have to wake up in the early hours of Friday morning to watch the duo compete in the final of the year’s first Grand Slam as they played Spain’s Daniel Caverzaschi and France legend Stephane Houdet at the KIA Arena for the chance to win their sixth Australian Open championship in a row.

Caverzaschi and Houdet took an early 2-1 lead in the first set after breaking Gordon’s service game before a 30-minute burst of form saw the British pair win five straight games to take the first set 6-2.

The second set started in identical fashion when Gordon’s serve was broken again to trail 2-1 before an instant break back saw the set go back on serve at 2-2. Gordon and Alfie struggled to get in front through the second set, unable to hold a break on Caverzaschi’s serve as Gordon lost his service game once more to keep the set level at 4-4.

Leading 5-4, the British pair applied pressure in the crucial game of the set and after some unforced errors by their opponents, Gordon and Alfie sealed the title by breaking serve in a tense game to seal another trophy in their prestigious careers.

In the post-match press conference, Gordon gave his thoughts of what drives the pair to continue creating history within wheelchair tennis and winning more tournaments, saying: “I think the key thing is just never resting on where we are and never being happy with our level, our performance, and always trying to improve.

“No matter which title we’ve won or which number it is, we always go back and review it and see where we can improve and get better.”

Alfie completed an Australian Open double as he took the title in the men’s wheelchair singles final, beating world number one Tokito Oda on Saturday (25th) morning.

There was more British success as Andy Lapthorne became champion in the quad wheelchair doubles in Melbourne for an eighth time.

Gordon will look to continue the early success in 2025 when he competes in February’s ABN Amro Open in Rotterdam.

(Source for quotes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba6eUKmmuUI&pp=ygUbZ29yZG9uIHJlaWQgYXVzdHJhbGlhbiBvcGVu)

 

 

 

YPSP member, Aidan Moody, Adds to Tennis Medal Collection

By William Moncrieff, Communications Apprentice 

Last month Aidan Moody, a current member of Scottish Disability Sport’s Young Persons’ Sports Panel, found himself competing in a tennis tournament in Annecy, France.  

“The tournament was really good. It was the VISTUS World Tennis Championships. Loads of different countries were there and I was there representing Great Britain.” Sai Aidan, who was competing in both the singles and doubles with his partner Olly. 

“I had four other players in my singles group. A French person who was number 4 in the world and an Australian who was a former world number 1, so I knew the group was going to be really tough”, said Aidan.  

Although he knew it was going to be a challenge to make it out of his group, he was motivated to cause an upset. He came ever so close to achieving this when he took on the French player and narrowly lost, 6-4. Despite the loss, it was a performance that he was extremely proud of 

He put up a good fight throughout the tournament, to finish in 9th place overall. He said, “After losing to the two seeds in my group, I went on to win all my other singles matches, making it to the consolation 9/10 play off final, winning 6-3 against Australia.”

“I think it was an achievement to get into the top 10, and I am happy with how I played.”  

In the double’s tournament, the pair clawed back to take the win against the home favourites, winning 6-2. Their winning momentum continued and they quickly found themselves in the semifinals. Although Aidan and Olly were unable to secure a spot in the final, they were successful in sealing bronze.  

“Managing to get a bronze was really good, we were both really happy with that”, said Aidan.   

With his tournament following the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Aidan was really motivated to play well. “I was supporting Gordon Reid who is also Scottish and was competing in Paris. It was really exciting and motivating.” 

He continued to say: “Learning Disability Tennis isn’t currently at the Paralympics but they are having talks to get it there. Fingers crossed that one day I can make it there which would be really cool.” 

Now that the dust has settled on the Championships in Annecy, Aidan can reflect on his overall performance. 

“We kept playing really well [in the doubles]. The communication was really good and I think we are just a really good partnership to be fair.” 

“We also competed in January at the Australian Open. We partnered there and were the runner ups and then we got bronze in France. It’s been a really good partnership so far, so I would definitely like to keep it going.” 

Aidan Moody standing on the tennis court in Australia, holding his trophy after winning the tournament
Aidan Moody standing on court holding his trophy at the Australian Open, earlier this year

Aidan is now really excited for his next steps in the game. “I’ve got more experience now and it’s made me hungry to keep on going, working hard and just keep coming back with a positive mindset.”  

The future is looking very bright. All the best of luck, Aidan! 

Make to follow Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website.

Gordon Reid playing wheelchair tennis. His eyes are following the tennis ball as it passes over the net

Gordon Reid Prevails with Alfie Hewitt in Entertaining Quarter Final Doubles Clash

The ParalympicsGB duo showed their class on the clay again with a straight set win to give them safe passage to the last four. 

By Paul Morrison 

There was more joy at Roland Garros this afternoon for Scotland’s Gordon Reid as he qualified for the men’s wheelchair tennis doubles semi final with teammate Alfie Hewitt. 

The pair were too good on the day for the Dutch duo of Ruben Spaargaren and Maarten Ter Hofte, getting the better of the seventh seeds 6-2, 6-1 on an atmospheric Suzanne-Lenglen. 

“It was really good. We came out firing right from the start, and we produced some of our best stuff at the beginning of the match”, said Gordon following the win. 

Gordon and Alfie will continue their charge in the doubles tomorrow afternoon in what promises to be a must-watch match against tricky opposition. 

The pair were once again off to a flying start as a quick break was followed by a strong service game from Gordon to hold an early advantage over the young Dutch players. 

Gordon and Alfie were experiencing more success with an aggressive approach to their play, which uncovered the cracks in Spaargaren and Ter Hofte’s game plan. This saw the Brits quickly find themselves 5-0 and giving the Scot a chance to serve for the set. 

Falling to complacent levels, the Dutch pair took the next two games where they won eight of the last 10 points at one stage. 

After regrouping well and finding their focus again, Alfie was able to serve out for a 6-2 lead and pushing the Brits halfway towards victory. 

The second set opened with a tense and engaging return game for Gordon and Alfie in a battle that went on for over 15 minutes that demonstrated a strong resilience from all players to rush and make every shot. This led to the Brits breaking which Gordon secured with a great showing on serve. 

The top seeds then slowly came through the next three games as winners with their effective attacking tactics, forcing the Dutch pair to overhit shots out of the court. 

In a repeat of the first set, Gordon was unable to serve the match out due to multiple errors as Spaargaren and Ter Hofte won a deserved game in the set. 

Any chance of a comeback was shut down right after though, with the victory being sealed on a fourth match point. An exciting match-up that was played in great spirits from all players proved to be a great contest for Gordon and Alfie. 

While the more experienced pair came out on top on the day, Spaargaren and Ter Hofte showed their quality and will carry on becoming a true force as a doubles team in years to come. 

“In the second set they raised their level and tested us a lot more. There were a lot of long games that we came out on top of, and it was a really good test going into the next match”, said Gordon. 

Gordon and Alfie will be back together tomorrow in the last four of the doubles event as they face the mission of getting passed the French pairing of Stephane Houdet and Frederic Cattaneo on Suzanne-Lenglen as the Brits will have their eye on avenging their losses in the gold medal match at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2016 Games at the hand of Houdet. 

“We’re just really excited to come up against them. It was one of our dreams before the tournament to come up against the local favourites. We’ve got big singles matches first in the morning to deal with, but once they’re over with, we’ll be ready to go”, commented Gordon. 

Gordon will have another busy day at Roland Garros as he is also first up on Phillippe-Chatrier to compete against Argentine maestro Gustavo Fernandez in the singles quarter final. 

The Paris 2024 Paralympics runs from the 28th August – 8th September. You can follow all the action and find out how the 21 Scottish Para athletes get on by following Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website. You can catch all the action on Channel 4. More information here.

Frances Smiley, Alastair Ramsey, Jack Dickson, Ronan Cacace and Matthew Copley

National Tennis Tournaments

The National Tournament for players with a Visual Impairment, organised by the Tennis Foundation, was held on 15th & 16th October at the National Tennis Centre.

Three players who train with Glasgow Disability Tennis competed – Sam Howie, Laura Grant & Andrea Logan.

Results:

  • Sam competed in the B2 singles winning 2 of his 3 matches and he won the consolation event.  In the doubles he won 1 of 2 matches.
  • Laura competed in the B1 singles (mixed) winning 1 of her 3 matches.
  • Andrea competed in the B3 singles winning 2 of her 4 matches and 2 of 3 matches in the doubles.

This was a great opportunity for the players and a good start to their competition careers.  We look forward to following the results in 2017 for the West Visually Impaired Tennis players.

The National Tournament for players with a Learning Disability was held on 28th, 29th & 30th October at Wrexham Tennis Centre.

Six players who train with Glasgow Disability Tennis competed in this event.

Results:

  • Ronan Cacace – Singles Div 1 – 4th; Doubles Div 1 – 4th
  • Alastair Ramsey – Singles Div 5 – silver; Doubles Div 3 – silver; Mixed Doubles Div 1 – silver
  • Gregor Boyd – Singles Div 6 – silver; Doubles Div 3 – silver
  • Jack Dickson – Singles Div 9 – silver; Doubles Div 5 – gold; Mixed Doubles Div 2 – gold
  • Matthew Copley – Singles Div 10 – silver; Doubles Div 5 – gold
  • Lucy Porteous – Singles Div 2 – gold; MxD Doubles Div 2 – gold

Once again, the strength of the Tennis programme in Glasgow is showing at National level and GDT are delighted with the progress of the programmes and the players involved.  All have shown development over the past year and is testament to the coaching received through Glasgow Disability Tennis.

The AGM for Glasgow Disability Tennis is on Sunday 4th December at 6pm at the David Lloyd Centre in Renfrewshire.  All welcome.