Alfie Hewett wins fifth US Open title and ends Oda’s Grand Slam sweep bid

Alfie Hewett won his fifth US Open men's wheelchair singles title on Saturday, beating top seed Tokito Oda 6-0, 7-6 (7-5) to deny the Japanese player a sweep of this year's four Grand Slams. BBC Sport reported that the victory gave the 28-year-old Briton his 11th major singles crown and a second title at this US Open.

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The result reversed the outcome of their previous two Grand Slam final meetings. Oda had beaten Hewett at both the French Open and Wimbledon this year, with the Briton managing only two games in a 6-1, 6-1 defeat in London. Oda also won January's Australian Open and arrived at this final having taken the previous six Grand Slam singles titles.

Hewett faced an early test in New York, saving a break point in the opening game before taking control of the first set. He did not concede a game in the opener and finished it with a backhand return winner. That start put him one set away from the championship after his heavy loss to the same opponent at Wimbledon.

The second set demanded a comeback. Hewett recovered from a double break down and saved three set points that would have allowed Oda to send the final into a deciding set. He instead forced a tie-break and won it 7-5, completing a straight-sets victory despite the markedly different course of the two sets.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Hewett linked his performance to the reflection that followed Wimbledon. He said he had been too timid in that final and wanted to rediscover the bravery he associated with his best tennis. He described spending six weeks eager to show himself he could play that way again. Oda acknowledged afterwards that he had targeted the calendar-year Grand Slam, while accepting that Hewett deserved the victory.

The singles success followed Hewett's doubles title alongside fellow Briton Gordon Reid on Friday. It also added another New York championship to his US Open singles wins in 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023, ending this year's tournament with titles in both events.