First wheelchair tennis player to complete a “Career Grand Slam” in singles (male)

Shingo Kunieda (Japan) won the wheelchair singles title at Wimbledon on 10 July 2022 to become the first man to claim the singles crown at all four Grand Slam tournaments. Previously, Kunieda had won the Australian Open in 2007-11, 2013-15, 2018, 2020 and 2022, the French Open in 2007-10, 2014-15, 2018 and 2022 and the US Open in 2007, 2009-11, 2014-15 and 2020-21. Wimbledon 2022 – Kunieda’s first win in five attempts at SW19 – was the 38-year-old’s 28th Grand Slam singles title since 2007 and his 50th major triumph in total, having also won 22 doubles titles since 2006 (including his win with partner Gustavo Fernandez at Wimbledon 24 hours earlier).

As of 10 July 2022, no man had won more than five Grand Slam singles tournaments in total, and no more than three titles at a single event. Kunieda’s haul of titles in Australia (11), France (8) and the USA (8) are unmatched in professional wheelchair tennis, with only Esther Vergeer’s nine Australian, six French and six US titles coming close to replicating his dominance in the sport. Kunieda’s Wimbledon success in 2022 also meant that he completed a Career Golden Slam (winning the four majors and Paralympic gold, in 2008, 2012 and 2021) and a Career Super Slam (winning all four majors, Paralympic gold and the year-end Masters event, in 2012-14) in singles competition. Kunieda is the only man to hold all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously (US Open 2021, Australian Open 2022, French Open 2022, Wimbledon 2022). In the women’s game and overall, Dutch player Diede de Groot was the first wheelchair player to claim a Career Grand Slam (after winning the French Open in 2019) and the first player to complete a calendar year (2021) and non-calendar year (2019) Grand Slam, i.e., holding all four majors simultaneously.