Gordon Reid (tennis) explained

Gordon Reid
Residence:Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Birth Date:2 October 1991
Birth Place:Alexandria, Scotland, United Kingdom
Height:1.75m (05.74feet)
Turnedpro:2012
Plays:Left-handed
Singlesrecord:603-247 (71%)
Doublesrecord:512-170 (75%)
Highestsinglesranking:No. 1 (19 September 2016)
Currentsinglesranking:No. 5 (15 July 2024)
Australianopenresult:W (2016)
Frenchopenresult:F (2016, 2019)
Wimbledonresult:W (2016)
Usopenresult:F (2023)
Othertournaments:Yes
Wheelchairtennismastersresult:F (2016, 2017)
Paralympicsresult: Gold Medal (2016)
Bronze Medal (2020)
Highestdoublesranking:No. 1 (9 November 2015)
Currentdoublesranking:No. 2 (15 July 2024)
Australianopendoublesresult:W (2017, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
Frenchopendoublesresult:W (2015, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
Wimbledondoublesresult:W (2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2024)
Usopendoublesresult:W (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
Othertournamentsdoubles:Yes
Wheelchairtennismastersdoublesresult:W (2013, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2023)
Paralympicsdoublesresult: Silver Medal (2016, 2020)
Updated:1 August 2023

Gordon James Reid[1] (born 2 October 1991) is a British professional wheelchair tennis player. He was ranked world No. 1 in singles and world No. 1 in doubles.[2] He is a Paralympic gold, silver, and bronze medalist, two-time Grand Slam singles champion, and record holding twenty-five time Grand Slam doubles champion.[3]

He has competed for Great Britain at the Summer Paralympics when tennis made its first appearance at Beijing 2008. He reached the quarterfinals in the singles in London 2012 as well as the quarterfinals in doubles.[4] He won Paralympic gold in the men's singles event at Rio 2016 and silver in the doubles event with partner Alfie Hewett, whom he beat in the singles final. At Tokyo 2020, Reid won bronze in the singles and silver in the doubles with Hewett. The pair later went on to complete a calendar year Grand Slam, winning all four majors in 2021. He currently holds the record for most doubles slam titles won by a wheelchair player in any division (men's, women's, and quads), with 25.

Reid was born able-bodied, claiming that he enjoyed a wide variety of sports as a kid including football and tennis. However, at the age of 12, he contracted a rare neurological condition called transverse myelitis which left him paralyzed from the waist down.[5]

Early life

Reid was born in Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire, on 2 October 1991. He comes from a tennis-playing family and started playing tennis at the age of six, alongside his two brothers and sister at Helensburgh Lawn Tennis Club, where he was a good junior player, before contracting rare spinal condition, transverse myelitis in 2004. He was paralysed from the waist down for over a decade but then gradually regained limited ability to stand and walk.[6]

He first began playing wheelchair tennis in 2005, when he was introduced to the sport at Scotstoun Leisure Centre in Glasgow. He was acknowledged for his sporting credentials in 2006, when he was among the 10 shortlisted finalists for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year.

In 2007, Reid became Britain's youngest men's Singles National Champion and he was also part of Great Britain's winning junior team at the 2007 World Team Cup. He feels his greatest achievement was representing ParalympicsGB at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games when he was 16 years old.

When he was younger, Reid combined his training commitments with his studies and in 2009 he passed Highers in Maths, English and Biology after attending Hermitage Academy. He is a lifelong supporter of Rangers FC and regularly attends their home matches.[7]

Tennis career

Reid won his first wheelchair tennis title in April 2005, six weeks after coming out of hospital, when he won the B Division Singles at the Glasgow Wheelchair Tennis Tournament. He became Britain's youngest National champion at the age of 15 in 2007 and the youngest British men's No 1 shortly before his 18th birthday at the end of September 2008.

At the 2006 British Open he won both the Men's Second Draw Singles and Boys' Junior Singles and ended the year among the 10 shortlisted finalists for the 2006 BBC Young Sports Person of the Year.

In 2007 he won the boys' doubles at the Junior Masters in Tarbes, France and shortly afterwards won the men's singles at the 2007 North West Challenge in Preston to collect his first senior international NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour singles title. He was undefeated as a member of the winning GB Junior team in the Junior event at the 2007 Invacare World Team Cup (Davis and Fed Cups of wheelchair tennis). In 2008 and 2009 he won both the boys' singles and boys' doubles at the Junior Masters in Tarbes, France and in January 2009 became world No 1 junior in the boys' singles rankings, a position he maintained throughout his final season as a junior. He helped Great Britain to win men's World Group 2 at the 2008 Invacare World Team Cup, to finish fifth in World Group 1 in 2009 and to finish fourth in Turkey in 2010, which was Britain's best Invacare World Team Cup result in the men's event since 2002.

Reid was named Tennis Scotland Junior Male Player of the Year in 2009 and Tennis Scotland Disabled Player of the Year in 2010. As a doubles player, he qualified for the year-end Doubles Masters for the first time in 2009, where he and his Hungarian partner Laszlo Farkas finished fifth of the eight partnerships. Reid also played in the men's wheelchair doubles at Wimbledon in 2008.

Reid ended 2010 having beaten three world top ranked players on his way to winning three NEC Tour singles titles during the season, as well as winning four doubles titles during the year. He beat Austrian world No 9 Martin Legner to win his last tournament of the season in December, the Prague Cup Czech Indoor.

In January 2016 Reid won his first ever Grand Slam singles wheelchair title at the Australian Open.[8] In July 2016, Reid followed up with his second Grand Slam victory in the inaugural singles wheelchair championships at Wimbledon. At the 2016 Summer Paralympics Reid won the gold medal for the men's wheelchair singles tennis, beating fellow Briton Alfie Hewett in straight sets, 6–2, 6–1.

He competed in wheelchair tennis at the 2020 Summer Paralympics,[9] where he won silver in the doubles with Hewett and bronze in the singles.

After 2016, Reid's grand slam success continued primarily with his accolades in the doubles alongside Hewett. Together, they were the first men's wheelchair tennis pair to win the calendar year grand slam, which they completed in 2021. Their title at the Australian Open in 2022 marked their 9th consecutive victory in a slam, overtaking Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver's record for most consecutive slam titles.[10]

Reid kicked off 2024 by winning a fifth Australian Open doubles title in a row with Hewett.[11] In May 2024 Reid was part of the Great Britain team which won the World Team Cup for a second successive year beating Spain 2-0 in the final of the event held in Turkey. It was the team's fourth win in the competition since 2015.[12] Reid and Hewett won a fifth straight French Open in June with a 6-1 6-4 victory over second-seeded Japanese duo Takuya Miki and Tokito Oda in the final.[13]

At the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, Reid and Hewett won the doubles title for a sixth time, defeating Takuya Miki and Tokito Oda in the final, 6–4, 7–6(7–2).[14]

Personal life

Reid was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to wheelchair tennis.[15] After giving him his MBE, Queen Elizabeth II referred to him as a "charming young man".[16] Reid was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to tennis.

Career statistics

Grand Slam performance timelines

Wheelchair singles

Tournament201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024SRW–L
Grand Slam tournaments
align=left Australian OpenAbgcolor=ffebcd QFbgcolor=ffebcd QFWbgcolor=ffebcd QFbgcolor=ffebcd QFbgcolor=ffebcd QFbgcolor=thistle Fbgcolor=yellow SFbgcolor=ffebcd QFbgcolor=ffebcd QFbgcolor=yellow SF1 / 11
align=left French OpenSFSFbgcolor=ffebcd QFFbgcolor=ffebcd QFbgcolor=ffebcd QFFbgcolor=ffebcd QFbgcolor=ffebcd QFbgcolor=ffebcd QFbgcolor=ffebcd QFbgcolor=yellow SF0 / 11
align=left WimbledonNHNHNHWbgcolor=ffebcd QFbgcolor=ffebcd QFbgcolor=ffebcd QFNHbgcolor=thistle Fbgcolor=ffebcd QFbgcolor=yellow SF1R1 / 8
align=left US OpenSFbgcolor=ffebcd QFbgcolor=ffebcd QFNHSFbgcolor=ffebcd QFbgcolor=ffebcd QFbgcolor=ffebcd QFSF1Rbgcolor=thistleFNH0 / 10
style=text-align:leftWin–loss2 / 40

Wheelchair doubles

Tournament201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024SRW–L
Grand Slam tournaments
align=left Australian OpenAFFFWFSFWWWWW6 / 12
align=left French OpenFSFWWFSFSFWWWWW7 / 12
align=left Wimbledonbgcolor=ffebcd 4thbgcolor=ffebcd 3rdFWWWFNHWFWW6 / 11
align=left US OpenSFFWNHWWWWWFSFNH6 / 10
style=text-align:leftWin–loss24 / 44

Finals

Wheelchair singles: 7 (2 titles, 5 runner-ups)

ResultYearTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Win2016Australian OpenHard Joachim Gérard7–6(9–7), 6–4
Loss2016French OpenClay Gustavo Fernández6–7(1–7), 1–6
Win2016WimbledonGrass Stefan Olsson6–1, 6–4
Loss2019French Open (2)Clay Gustavo Fernández1–6, 3–6
Loss2020Australian OpenHard Shingo Kunieda4–6, 4–6
Loss2021WimbledonGrass Joachim Gérard2–6, 6–7(2–7)
Loss2023US OpenHard Alfie Hewett4–6, 3–6

Wheelchair doubles: 36 (25 titles, 11 runner-ups)

OutcomeYearwidth=130ChampionshipSurfacewidth=160Partnerwidth=170Opponentswidth=140Score
Loss2013French OpenClay Ronald Vink Stéphane Houdet
Shingo Kunieda
6–3, 4–6, [6–10]
Loss2014Australian OpenHard Maikel Scheffers Stéphane Houdet
Shingo Kunieda
3–6, 3–6
Loss2014US OpenHard Maikel Scheffers Stéphane Houdet
Shingo Kunieda
2–6, 6–2, 6–7(4–7)
Loss2015Australian OpenHard Gustavo Fernández Stéphane Houdet
Shingo Kunieda
2–6, 1–6
Win2015French OpenClay Shingo Kunieda Gustavo Fernández
Nicolas Peifer
6–1, 7–6(7–1)
Loss2015WimbledonGrass Michaël Jeremiasz Gustavo Fernández
Nicolas Peifer
5–7, 7–5, 2–6
Win2015US OpenHard Stéphane Houdet Michaël Jeremiasz
Nicolas Peifer
6–3, 6–1
Loss2016Australian OpenHard Shingo Kunieda Stéphane Houdet
Nicolas Peifer
3–6, 6–3, 5–7
Win2016French Open (2)Clay Shingo Kunieda Michaël Jeremiasz
Stefan Olsson
6–3, 6–2
Win2016WimbledonGrass Alfie Hewett Stéphane Houdet
Nicolas Peifer
4–6, 6–1, 7–6(8–6)
Win2017Australian OpenHard Joachim Gérard Gustavo Fernández
Alfie Hewett
6–3, 3–6, [10–3]
Loss2017French OpenClay Alfie Hewett Stéphane Houdet
Nicolas Peifer
4–6, 3–6
Win2017Wimbledon (2)Grass Alfie Hewett Stéphane Houdet
Nicolas Peifer
6–7(5–7), 7–5, 7–6(7–3)
Win2017US Open (2)Hard Alfie Hewett Stéphane Houdet
Nicolas Peifer
7–5, 6–4
Loss2018Australian OpenHard Alfie Hewett Stéphane Houdet
Nicolas Peifer
4–6, 2–6
Win2018Wimbledon (3)Grass Alfie Hewett Joachim Gérard
Stefan Olsson
6–1, 6–4
Win2018US Open (3)Hard Alfie Hewett Stéphane Houdet
Nicolas Peifer
5–7, 6–3, [11–9]
Loss2019WimbledonGrass Alfie Hewett Joachim Gérard
Stefan Olsson
4–6, 2–6
Win2019US Open (4)Hard Alfie Hewett Gustavo Fernández
Shingo Kunieda
1–6, 6–4, [11–9]
Win2020Australian Open (2)Hard Alfie Hewett Stéphane Houdet
Nicolas Peifer
4–6, 6–4, [10–7]
Win2020US Open (5)Hard Alfie Hewett Stéphane Houdet
Nicolas Peifer
6–4, 6–1
Win2020French Open (3)Clay Alfie Hewett Gustavo Fernández
Shingo Kunieda
7–6(7–4), 1–6, [10–3]
Win2021Australian Open (3)Hard Alfie Hewett Stéphane Houdet
Nicolas Peifer
7–5, 7–6(7–3)
Win2021French Open (4)Clay Alfie Hewett Stéphane Houdet
Nicolas Peifer
6-3, 6-0
Win2021Wimbledon (4)Grass Alfie Hewett Tom Egberink
Joachim Gerard
7–5, 6–2
Win2021US Open (6)Hard Alfie Hewett Gustavo Fernández
Shingo Kunieda
6-2, 6–1
Win2022Australian Open (4)Hard Alfie Hewett Gustavo Fernández
Shingo Kunieda
6–2, 4–6, [10–7]
Win2022French Open (5)Clay Alfie Hewett Gustavo Fernández
Shingo Kunieda
7–6(7–5), 7–6(7–5)
Loss2022WimbledonGrass Alfie Hewett Gustavo Fernández
Shingo Kunieda
3–6, 1–6
Loss2022US Open Hard Alfie Hewett Martín de la Puente
Nicolas Peifer
6–4, 5–7, [6–10]
Win2023Australian Open (5)Hard Alfie Hewett Maikel Scheffers
Ruben Spaargaren
6–1, 6–2
Win2023French Open (6)Clay Alfie Hewett Martín de la Puente
Gustavo Fernández
7–6(11–9), 7–5
Win2023Wimbledon (5)Grass Alfie Hewett Takuya Miki
Tokito Oda
3–6, 6–0, 6–3
Win2024Australian Open (6)Hard Alfie Hewett Takuya Miki
Tokito Oda
6–3, 6–2
Win2024French Open (7)Clay Alfie Hewett Takuya Miki
Tokito Oda
6–1, 6–4
Win2024Wimbledon (6)Grass Alfie Hewett Takuya Miki
Tokito Oda
6-4, 7–6(7–2)

Notes and References

  1. Web site: King's Birthday Honours: Sarah Hunter and Ian Wright among those included. BBC Sport. 17 June 2023. 20 June 2023.
  2. Web site: Tennis Foundation – Tennis in Britain . 13 November 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120909193408/http://www.tennisfoundation.org.uk/disabilitytennis/Wheelchair-Tennis/Wheelchair-Performance/Gordon-Reid/ . 9 September 2012 . dead.
  3. Web site: Gordon Reid makes history with gold medal victory at 2016 Paralympics . Carla . Donald . 20 September 2016 .
  4. Web site: London 2012 Paralympics – Ceremonies, Medals, Torch Relay . london2012.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121116101717/http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/athlete/reid-gordon-5505294/ . 16 November 2012.
  5. Web site: Wheelchair Tennis champion Gordon Reid already eyeing the 2024 Paralympics . fansided.com . 31 March 2023.
  6. Web site: Wheelchair tennis star Gordon Reid regains feeling in legs . scotsman.com . 12 May 2022.
  7. Web site: Gers Fan Reid Makes History . rangers.co.uk . 17 September 2016.
  8. News: Australian Open 2016: Gordon Reid wins wheelchair singles title . BBC Sport . 30 January 2016 .
  9. Web site: Wheelchair Tennis – REID Gordon – Tokyo 2020 Paralympics . Tokyo2020.org . . 10 September 2021.
  10. Web site: Australian Open: Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid win ninth consecutive Grand Slam title . 26 January 2022.
  11. Web site: Australian Open 2024 results: Alfie Hewett, Gordon Reid and Andy Lapthorne win titles. BBC Sport. 2024-05-12.
  12. Web site: Reid & Hewett help GB defend World Team Cup. BBC Sport. 2024-05-12.
  13. Web site: Hewett & Reid win fifth French Open doubles title. BBC Sport. 2024-05-12.
  14. Web site: Wimbledon 2024: Alfie Hewett & Gordon Reid crowned doubles champions for a sixth time. LTA. 14 July 2024.
  15. Web site: Team GB stars dominate New Year's Honours List . 30 December 2016 . Team GB.
  16. Web site: The Queen meets First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon . .