Paris, FRANCE – Two of the star wheelchair athletes in Team Yonex - one the dominant figure in women's singles and the other the teenage prodigy of the men's game - could both be about to achieve something remarkable at Roland-Garros.
Diede de Groot (NED), the World No. 1 for wheelchair women's singles, has reached the final on the clay courts of Paris, where she will be attempting to win a 10th straight Grand Slam singles title. Tokito Oda (JPN), who is only 17 years old, has made the wheelchair men's singles final at Roland-Garros as he seeks a first major that would also make him the youngest World No. 1 in the sport's history. Victory for De Groot and Oda in their respective singles finals would be an astounding double for Team Yonex.
De Groot’s winning streak now at 102 matches
With her 6-3, 6-2 victory against Japan's Momoko Ohtani, the Yonex ambassador extended her winning streak to 102 matches at tour level and reached another Grand Slam final, where she will play Yui Kamiji, the No 2 seed from Japan.
In 2021 and 2022, the Dutchwoman became the first player in any discipline to complete the Grand Slam - winning all four majors in a season - two years in a row. After claiming the Australian Open at the start of this season, which was her ninth major in a row, she will try to keep her run going in Paris. If De Groot wins, it would be her third consecutive title at Roland-Garros and her fourth overall, as well as her 18th Grand Slam singles title.
Oda chasing history in Paris
The Yonex ambassador was just 16 years old when he made his Grand Slam debut in Paris last season, becoming the youngest competitor in the history of the wheelchair majors. A year on, and he is now an even more accomplished athlete, as he demonstrated by beating Spain's Martin de La Puente 6-2, 7-6(6) to reach the final.
Winning a first Grand Slam is a special moment in any player's career but it would be even more meaningful for Oda as it would propel him to No. 1. To reach the pinnacle of the sport, Oda must beat the current World No. 1, Alfie Hewett from Great Britain.
Diede de Groot (NED) | VCORE 98[LINK] / REXIS COMFORT 125[LINK]
Tokito Oda (JPN) | EZONE 100L[LINK] / POLYTOUR SPIN[LINK] / POLYTOUR PRO 125[LINK]
