Hewett and Reid Reach US Open Wheelchair Doubles Final
Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid refused to let history repeat itself in New York.
Beaten in last year’s US Open men’s wheelchair doubles final by Gustavo Fernandez and Tokito Oda, the British pair stared at the same opponents, the same stage of the tournament, and the same threat of disappointment. This time they turned the script on its head, clawing back from a set down to win 4-6 6-3 10-7 and book their place in yet another final.
It was a win built on stubborn resolve. Fernandez and Oda struck first, taking the opening set 6-4 and looking every bit as sharp as they had in 2023. The rallies stretched, the margins tightened, and the British duo had to weather a barrage of heavy hitting before they could wrestle control.
The response was emphatic. Hewett and Reid raised the tempo, cleaned up the errors and began to dictate with the authority of serial champions. They took the second set 6-3, dragging the contest into a match tie-break where experience and nerve would decide it.
The pressure finally told. In the race to 10, the British team held their line, edging clear to 10-7 and sealing a victory that carried more than just a place in the final. It carried payback.
The reward is a shot at a sixth US Open doubles title together. From 2017 to 2021, Hewett and Reid owned this event, reeling off five consecutive crowns and setting a standard that defined the era. Now they stand one win away from adding another chapter, with Spain’s Martin de la Puente and Ruben Spaargaren of the Netherlands waiting in the final.
Reid's Singles Challenge
Reid’s day, though, had started in far harsher fashion.
Earlier on Thursday, the Scot ran into a ruthless top seed in the singles draw. Tokito Oda, the defending champion, swept through their quarter-final 6-1 6-0, underlining why he sits at the top of the rankings and why he remains the man to beat on this stage. For Reid, it was a bruising reminder of the level required in singles, even as his doubles campaign roared back into life later in the day.
Hewett's Singles Performance
Hewett’s singles story could hardly have been more different. Seeded second, the 28-year-old delivered a commanding performance to reach the semi-finals, dismantling American Casey Ratzlaff 6-2 6-0. It was the kind of clinical display that has become familiar in New York, where Hewett has already lifted four singles titles, the most recent coming in 2023.
His movement, his ball-striking, his control of the court – all of it looked in sync again. As the draw narrows, he remains firmly in the hunt for a fifth singles crown at Flushing Meadows.
There was disappointment elsewhere for British interest in the wheelchair events. Andy Lapthorne, partnering South Africa’s Leon Els in the quad doubles, fell just short in a tight contest against second seeds Sam Schroder of the Netherlands and Jin Woodman of Australia. After taking the opening set 6-4, Lapthorne and Els were dragged back, losing the second 6-3 before being edged out 10-8 in the deciding match tie-break.
Fine margins, brutal outcome.
For Hewett and Reid, though, the week is still alive on two fronts. One chasing another slice of doubles history, the other pushing towards another singles title. The question now is simple: how much more silverware can this partnership squeeze out of New York before the lights go down on this year’s US Open?
