Alfie Hewett says he is "extremely disappointed" with French Open organisers after his wheelchair singles final was moved to a different court less than an hour before the start "without really consulting the players".
The Norfolk player's match against Tokito Oda on Saturday, which he lost 6-4 7-6 (8-6), was switched from Court 14 to being straight after the women's wheelchair final on Suzanne Lenglen.
They were only given about 35 minutes to prepare after being informed of the change at just past midday.
"I understand the reasoning behind it because of the changeable weather this week but I think they could have communicated that the night before - like given us a heads-up and said 'if this quads match goes on longer than the women's final then you boys will be on Lenglen, if it doesn't happen then you will stay on Court 14'," he said.
"None of that communication was had the night before, or even in the morning."
The BBC have approached Roland Garros and the International Tennis Federation for comment
As the wheelchair draw progressed there was a lot of discussion around the scheduling and last-minute changes, with different courts offering varied conditions for the players.
"It's a completely different environment," said Hewett, who won his sixth consecutive Roland Garros doubles title with partner and fellow Brit Gordon Reid, and who - by also finishing with runners-up honours in the singles - improved on his 2024 performance at Roland Garros.
Comments
Post a Comment