Rio 2016: Dylan Alcott – Wheelchair tennis

Elite athlete Dylan Alcott OAM has had spectacular success, winning gold medals for both wheelchair tennis and basketball. He has also won the French and US Open, Wimbledon and Australian Open grand slam titles in both quad singles and doubles.

The Tokyo 2020 Paralympics is his fourth representing Australia.

Alcott's paraplegia was the result of an operation to remove a tumour wrapped around his spine when he was a baby. 

This skilfully edited clip from Nine News’s coverage of the Rio 2016 Paralympics on Nine News Melbourne, broadcast on 15 September 2016, is a great example of how much adrenaline and emotion can be packed into a short 30-second segment. In order to invest in Alcott’s win it’s essential to show some of the match, and here we see two points played, including the match point.

Alcott’s charisma is evident here and it’s easy to see why he has also had success in media and as a motivational speaker, in addition to his sporting prowess.

The shot of him kissing his medal for the camera and speaking with emotion after his latest win is exactly what fans love to see. These moments exemplify why he’s a great sporting role model.

In an interview on Kurt Fearnley's One Plus One in 2021 Alcott says:

I think the reason that I’m so proud of the Paralympics and being a Paralympian is that I am genuinely 100% really proud to have a disability, first and foremost. You know, I love having my disability … I call the Olympic Games the crappy warm-up event for the big show, which is the Paralympic Games, and I mean that...

The reason I wanna win all the grand slams and the reason I want profile is not to say, ‘Hey Dylan, great job’. It’s to have influence in my community. That’s why I do what I do … We are there to provide better opportunities for the billions of people with a disability around the world to get out and live the life that they want to live.

Notes by Beth Taylor