NEW YORK — British wheelchair tennis stars Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid saw their quest for a fourth consecutive US Open men’s doubles title come to a heartbreaking end on Sunday, falling in a dramatic championship final to the top-seeded pairing of Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez and Japan’s Tokito Oda.
The final, a rematch of the 2023 decider, lived up to its blockbuster billing, requiring a match tie-break to decide the champions. In the end, the formidable new duo of Fernandez and Oda prevailed 6-4, 5-7, [10-8] on the courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
A Rivalry Rekindled and a New Partnership Forged
The narrative heading into the final was rich with history and intrigue. Hewett and Reid, the second seeds, are arguably the most successful doubles partnership in wheelchair tennis history, boasting 18 Grand Slam titles together, including a historic calendar Grand Slam in 2021.
Their opponents, however, represented a fresh and potent challenge. While Fernandez and Oda are established rivals in singles, this US Open marked their first major tournament as a formal doubles pairing. The combination of Fernandez’s powerful, aggressive style and Oda’s incredible speed and tactical intelligence at just 17 years of age proved to be a devastatingly effective formula throughout the fortnight.
A Tense Battle from the First Ball
From the outset, the match was a tense, high-quality affair with minimal separating the two teams. The first set was defined by a single break of serve. Fernandez and Oda managed to secure the crucial break and held their nerve to close out the opener 6-4, applying immediate pressure to the defending champions.
The British duo, known for their resilience and unparalleled chemistry, responded in kind in the second set. The games went with serve deep into the set, with both pairs producing stunning winners and reflex volleys under pressure. At 5-5, Hewett and Reid found another gear, breaking serve to love to take a 6-5 lead. Reid then served out the set confidently, forcing a decisive match tie-break with a 7-5 second-set victory.
A Nail-Biting Conclusion
The match tie-break was a microcosm of the entire contest: fiercely contested, with momentum swinging back and forth. Hewett and Reid built an early advantage, but Fernandez and Oda clawed their way back, showcasing their own championship mettle.
The key moments came late in the breaker. With the score delicately poised, a few unforced errors from the British pair and a couple of clutch returns from the top seeds gave Fernandez and Oda their first championship point at 9-7. Hewett and Reid saved one, but on the very next point, a powerful shot from Fernandez proved too much to handle, sealing the victory for the new partnership.
Reaction and Reflection
The loss was a difficult pill to swallow for Hewett and Reid, who had not been beaten at Flushing Meadows since the 2019 final. In his post-match press conference, Alfie Hewett was gracious in defeat but acknowledged the pain of the loss.
"It’s always tough to lose, especially in a final and especially in a match tie-break. It could have gone either way. They played the big points better than us today. Credit to them, they’re a new team but they’ve gelled really well and played some fantastic tennis."
Gordon Reid echoed his partner's sentiments, highlighting the fine margins that decided the contest. "It was a battle out there, as it always is against those two. We had our chances, they had theirs. They took theirs at the end. It’s disappointing, but we’ll regroup and come back stronger."
For the champions, the victory was a monumental achievement. Tokito Oda, who now holds the Wimbledon and US Open doubles titles with different partners, was ecstatic. "I am very happy to win here with Gustavo. He is a great partner and we fought for every point together."
Gustavo Fernandez, a former world No. 1, added, "It’s an amazing feeling. Tokito is an incredible player and we communicated very well on court. To win a title like this in our first tournament together is something very special."
Looking Ahead
The result shakes up the landscape of men’s wheelchair doubles and sets the stage for an enthralling rivalry for the remainder of the season. The defeat ends a remarkable 17-match winning streak at the US Open for Hewett and Reid.
Despite the loss, the British pair’s legacy remains untarnished. Their achievements together are staggering:
- 18 Grand Slam men’s doubles titles as a team
- The only team to complete the calendar-year Grand Slam in men’s wheelchair doubles (2021)
- 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals reached from the 2020 Australian Open to the 2022 US Open
They will now turn their attention to the upcoming tournaments and the quest to reclaim their top spot. For Fernandez and Oda, the victory announces them as a major force and adds another fascinating chapter to the competitive world of wheelchair tennis, proving that the next generation, and new alliances, are ready to challenge the established order.