Oda Tokito wins Paris Paralympic wheelchair tennis singles gold

On 7 September 2024, Japan's Tokito Oda won the men's wheelchair tennis singles title at the Paris Paralympics, beating Britain's Alfie Hewett in the final at Roland Garros, the home of the French Open.

Oda was 18 at the time. The victory made him the youngest man to win Paralympic singles gold in wheelchair tennis, a record that underlined how quickly he had risen through the sport. He had already reached the top of the world rankings, and he came to Paris as one of the leading players in the draw.

Hewett, a multiple Grand Slam champion and a long-standing rival, was among the favourites and had the home-continent support of a large British contingent. The final was seen as a meeting between two of the sport's dominant players of the current generation.

The gold was a major moment for Japanese wheelchair tennis, which had been led for years by Shingo Kunieda, the retired Paralympic champion. Oda's win suggested a new era for the sport in Japan and set expectations for his later events, including the Asian Para Games.