Paris 2024: Schroder and Vink defend wheelchair tennis title

Sam Schroder and Niels Vink are wheelchair tennis royalty, and they proved it again with a 6-1 6-1 victory in the Paris 2024 quad doubles final over Andy Lapthorne and Gregory Slade at Roland Garros. It was fitting they should win the first gold in Paris, having completed the ‘Golden Slam’ - every Grand Slam title plus Paralympic gold – at Tokyo 2020. 

Schroder and Vink took control with an iron grip on Court Phillippe-Chatrier, and didn’t let go. This was another opportunity to add to their incredible legacy; they’d been here before, and it showed as they raced into a 3-0 first set lead with an early break. 

Another break came late in the set, and they closed it out with an impressive hold of serve, coming from 30-0 down to do so. 

Nobody held serve in the first three games of the second set. Schroder and Vink came out of the blocks again and it looked ominous for Great Britain when they won the first game. 

But Slade and Lapthorne hit back immediately to cancel them out with a break of their own, forcing the Dutch into uncharacteristic errors with strong forehands from the baseline. 

Once Schroder and Vink held in the fourth game, the home straight to their gold medal defence was in sight, despite a beautiful drop shot on the angle from Slade getting the crowd onside. 

They won the match with a final break, asserting their dominance one last time before receiving a raucous reception from a boisterous Parisian crowd. 

"It was very special. It was mainly because it’s the second gold medal already in such a short career, but also, in Tokyo, we couldn’t have any friends, family or sponsors watching us,” explained Schroder.  

“Today, there were a bunch of people from both sides to celebrate and be all together. That made it extra special for me." 

Vink agreed: "This one is the most special one. It’s only once in four years, and the Grand Slams are four times a year.  

“Winning a Grand Slam is also very special, but this one is so much more special." 

South Africa take bronze in tense encounter 

Earlier in the day, on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, South African pair Donald Ramphadi and Lucas Sithole beat Brazil’s Leandro Pena and Ynmanitu Silva 6-2 4-6 (10-8) to claim the bronze medal - Africa's first medal in wheelchair tennis. 

It was a tense finish to a pulsating afternoon, with Pena and Silva roaring back in the second set before Ramphadi and Sithole regained control in the third. 

It was an emotional return to Paris for Ramphadi, the scene of his greatest success, winning the French Open, but he says winning a Paralympic medal is now his proudest moment. 

“This venue keeps adding. I’m very excited that I did it again at Roland-Garros,” he said. “Last year, I won my first Grand Slam here on my birthday. Now I’ve won the bronze. 

“This is the best moment. It’s always a big deal for me to carry the nation’s flag on my shoulders. To put South Africa on the map. I’ll never stop being proud of this moment. I’ll talk about it until the last day. This is just unbelievable.” 

Inspiring people back in South Africa was huge motivation for Sithole too, and he is proud to have delivered.  

“It feels good. It’s our first big medal playing together,” he added.  

“We’re happy to write history. For the kids who look up to us. This is their motivation too, that they can do it. This is one of the most important competitions for me.”