The Belgian-born Dutch wheelchair tennis player Diede de Groot became the first player to complete the ultimate slam at Wimbledon on Sunday, winning the singles crown for the first time.
Speaking afterwards, de Groot said: “It is unbelievable to win the doubles and singles and to do it in front of this amazing crowd, it is something I will always remember.”
Diede de Groot wins most prestigious title at Wimbledon – tennis (@warwickshooter) July 23, 2017
De Groot, who won the doubles title with Australian Jason Kubler on Saturday, claimed her first Grand Slam singles title in the final against Sophie Brunner of Germany and Sarah Borwell of England.
“I started dreaming about this after winning the mixed doubles,” she said. “Now, I am back on the court, feeling good and looking forward to the future. Now I can play in the Davis Cup again.”
In her mixed doubles triumph with China’s Chen Long on Saturday, de Groot became the first player in 30 years to win the Grand Slam for a new event before the French Open.
De Groot was born in Brussels in 1984 and grew up in the Netherlands. She moved to the Netherlands in 2008 to be closer to her mother, who had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and was then ranked No112. In 2012, after being ranked 20th in the world, she won the Florida Invitational in Melbourne.
The Grand Slam wins have left de Groot ranked No45 and looking for further success. She intends to play in the French Open in May, the US Open in August and London in September.