Had British quad wheelchair player Andy Lapthorne not got into a lift with his father at Wimbledon 18 years ago, he might never have become a tennis player.
“There was some redevelopment going on inside the Grounds of the All England Club, disabled access was a bit messed up, so you had to go through the players’ area at that time,” Lapthorne told wimbledon.com, after reaching the first men’s quad wheelchair singles final at the All England Club on Thursday with a 7-5, 6-4 win over the No.2 seed, David Wagner of the US.
“And that’s how we ended up in a lift with Venus and Serena, and their dad,” said Lapthorne, who will play the No.1 seed, Australian Dylan Alcott, in the singles final on Saturday. “I must have been about 10 or 11 years old.”
After a brief chat and some pictures, Lapthorne knew what he wanted to do with his life. “Ever since that day, I’ve always wanted to play here,” said the 28-year-old British wild card, who was born with cerebral palsy.
Playing Wagner on a packed Court 17, Lapthorne suddenly spotted Venus Williams, a five-time Wimbledon singles winner, beside the court. “It’s mad how, sometimes, things in life come full circle,” he said. “They were the first two people that I really had an interaction with.
“You are in a lift with these two, what looked to me like two giant athletes, and I had watched them so much on the TV. To see them in real life was just really inspiring, and to have a picture with their dad, it was crazy.
"For her to come out today and watch, it was surreal, because I am literally in that same place, and she is out watching me, and she has no idea that she is part of the reason why I am here,” he said.
The inclusion of the quad singles and doubles wheelchair events, for players with a permanent disability that affects three or more limbs, as an official event at The Championships, means players can now compete in all four Grand Slams.
For Lapthorne, who participated in a quad exhibition at Wimbledon last year, the inclusion and additional prize money will make a big difference. There is £34,000 on offer for the quad singles champion, and half that for the runner-up.
“That’s more money than I have ever made in my life,” said Lapthorne. “Win or lose on Saturday, that’s probably the most money that has ever been in my bank account. So it changes your life.”
The extra prize money will allow Lapthorne to travel to more events with his team. “It just takes away that stress,” he said. “Like when you are at the smaller events, and you are battling and playing for something like $2,000, but you really need that $2,000 to pay for your coach and to go to the next event.”
After winning the men’s quad wheelchair doubles on Friday with Alcott, Lapthorne is looking forward to playing the five-time Australian Open champion for the title.
“It’s amazing, this is what we wanted,” Lapthorne said. “He is a good friend of mine. The crowds are going to be crazy, there is going to be lots of people here. I am just going to go out there and try my best.”
