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 early trouble. This time they turned the script on its head.

From a set down, they dug in and dragged the match into a deciding tie-break, then held their nerve to close out a 4-6 6-3 10-7 victory and book their place in yet another US Open final.

It was a win loaded with context. Not just revenge for 2023, but a step towards a sixth US Open doubles crown together. Between 2017 and 2021, Hewett and Reid owned this event, reeling off five straight titles and setting the standard for dominance in men’s wheelchair doubles. Now they stand one match away from adding another chapter to that run.

The turning point came after the opening set slipped away. Fernandez and Oda, so sharp and so ruthless 12 months ago, again looked in control. Hewett and Reid responded by tightening their returns, attacking the middle of the court, and forcing their opponents into longer, more physical exchanges. The pressure told in the second set, and once the match reached the deciding tie-break, the British duo’s experience under the New York lights shone through.

Awaiting them in the final are Spain’s Martin de la Puente and Ruben Spaargaren of the Netherlands, a pairing with the firepower to disrupt even the most established teams. Hewett and Reid, though, walk in with a wealth of big-match scars and medals from this court.

Their day in New York had already taken a twist before that doubles comeback.

Earlier on Thursday, Reid’s singles campaign ended abruptly. Up against top seed and defending champion Oda in the quarter-finals, he ran into a wall. The Japanese star dominated from the first ball, sweeping to a 6-1 6-0 win and underlining why he sits at the top of the rankings.

Hewett’s singles route could not have looked more different. The second seed dismantled American Casey Ratzlaff 6-2 6-0 to reach the last four, underlining his own status as a force on these courts. At 28, he already owns four US Open singles titles, including last year’s, and he continues to look at ease in the New York conditions.

So while Reid’s singles hopes ended, the doubles run offered immediate redemption. For Hewett, the chance of a singles-and-doubles tilt remains very much alive.

There was less joy for another Briton on the day. In the quad doubles, Andy Lapthorne and his South African partner Leon Els fell just short in a tight encounter with second seeds Sam Schroder of the Netherlands and Jin Woodman of Australia. After splitting the first two sets, Lapthorne and Els were edged out 4-6 6-3 10-8 in the match tie-break, a narrow defeat that underlined how fine the margins are at this level.

For now, the British spotlight swings firmly back to Hewett and Reid. A year ago, Fernandez and Oda stood between them and another US Open title and slammed the door shut. This time, the door stayed open.

One more win, and the old kings of New York could be sitting on a sixth crown.