Paris 2024: Kamiji Yui stuns Diede de Groot to win wheelchair tennis women’s singles gold
The Japanese second seed delivered an outstanding performance, improving on her silver medal from Tokyo 2020 to win her second gold medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Kamiji Yui of Japan pulled off a stunning display to win gold in the wheelchair tennis women’s singles gold medal match at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
She overcame defending champion Diede de Groot of the Netherlands 4-6 6-3 6-4 on Friday (6 September), as De Groot had to settle for silver in a hard-fought display.
The bronze medal went to Aniek van Koot, who defeated Wang Ziyang of the People’s Republic of China in straight sets to guarantee two Dutch athletes on the podium.
Friday’s women’s singles final was their second meeting in two days – on Thursday (5 September), Kamiji prevailed in the women’s doubles with partner Tanaka Manami, a tense final which went all the way to a deciding tiebreak.
Diede de Groot of the Netherlands in action in the women's singles gold medal match at Paris 2024.
How Kamiji secured her fifth Paralympic medal
In a repeat of the Tokyo 2020 gold medal match, Kamiji got off to a super start on the Court Philippe-Chatrier, taking a 3-0 lead and breaking De Groot’s serve three times.
But the Dutch world number one kept calm and stuck to her guns, roaring back from 4-1 down to win five consecutive games and seize the set on the break.
Kamiji was not shaken, and through a tight second set she had to win, the Japanese laid her authority down to win it 6-3. No one had taken a singles set off De Groot at Paris 2024 until world number two Kamaji did, forcing a deciding set for gold.
Back and forth in the final set, De Groot’s unforced errors were costing her against a clinical and composed Kamiji. The Japanese player burst into tears on match point, avenging her Tokyo 2020 defeat and winning her second gold of Paris 2024.
This is Kamiji’s fifth Paralympic medal and her first singles gold, while De Groot wins her third silver medal and a fifth overall. Kamiji also becomes the first Japanese gold medallist in this event, ending a streak of eight consecutive Dutch gold medallists in wheelchair tennis women's singles.
Paris 2024 Paralympics: Wheelchair tennis women’s singles, 6 September 2024 - results
Gold - Kamaji Yui (Japan)
Silver - Diede de Groot (Netherlands)
Bronze - Aniek van Koot (Netherlands)