Great Britain’s Greg Slade achieved a significant milestone by securing his first Grand Slam match-win, which he hopes will transform his career. Slade defeated Chile’s Francisco Cayulef 7-6(2) 3-6 6-4 in the opening round of the quad draw at the Wimbledon Wheelchair Championships. This victory sets him up for a quarter-final match against Sam Schroder from the Netherlands.
Slade expressed his emotions following the win, stating, “I honestly think I am still processing what’s just happened.” Ranked No. 11 in the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour Rankings and a wildcard entrant, Slade faced tough odds against Cayulef, ranked No. 6 globally. He noted this victory as his career’s best based on rankings.
Reflecting on his journey, Slade said, “I feel I have been knocking on the door of something like this for a while… I feel it proves that I deserve to be at this level.” The emotional win at Wimbledon holds special significance for Slade as it is his home Slam. His previous Grand Slam appearances include last year’s Wimbledon and January’s Australian Open.
Slade admitted to battling nerves during matches but has worked hard over time to overcome these challenges. He shared, “You’ve got dreams as players… it means so much this being my home Slam and I hope to be here now for many years to come.”