Kaplan becomes first Turkish player to reach a Paralympic semi-final
After more than two hours on court, Ahmet Kaplan emerged with the hand of history on his shoulder after defeating Great Britain’s Andy Lapthorne to reach the last four of the Paris 2024 quad singles.
In doing so, Kaplan became the first Turkish player in history to reach the semi-finals of a Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Event and will now face Dutchman Niels Vink for a place in the final.
The 22-year-old defeated three-time Paralympic medallist Lapthorne 6-4 3-6 6-3 in a showdown which lasted two hours and seven minutes in the draining Parisian heat. Not a bad output at all for a Paralympic debut.
“A Paralympic semi-finalist – it sounds incredible and unbelievable,” said world No. 5 Kaplan. “It is my first Paralympics and I honestly do not know what to say, I haven’t got the words. I really want to be on this stage.
“It is a really good level, to be here and to play in the semi-finals. To beat Andy as well, who is a really good opponent. We played more than two hours – I felt almost dead in the second set, but I knew I needed to push and push.
“It's like a dream. Last year, I was just an average player – honestly. I was like No. 15, No. 20 in the world. My ranking was that and now it is going higher and I see my tennis level going higher as well. I am really proud of myself, I have given everything.
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“Being here has been an unreal experience generally. I did not expect this many people to come and watch wheelchair tennis – there are so many people.
“I have never played Roland Garros – I missed the ranking cut-off this year. But now I am here and playing on these courts, I am really happy.”
Kaplan tragically lost his legs following an horrific electrocution accident when he was just eight years old and, to his own admission, his life was meandering until he found and fell in love with wheelchair tennis.
“I lost my two legs and my fingers and some of my fingers are not working,” added Kaplan.
“After the accident, I spent a long time at home. Before the accident I had so much energy, I was playing a lot of sports. But after the accident and during the long time I was at home I got very bored. I eventually told myself, 'I'm not like that person’.
“I started to play wheelchair basketball in my city and went to practice with them for a couple of months and I really liked it, but then the club had to close.
“My coach came to me and said he could find me a different basketball team, but he encouraged me to try an individual sport like tennis and told me to give it a try.
“He gave me a contact and I met with my first coach and that’s how my life changed. I was at home getting bored, but now I’m going all around the world. I love it.”
Wheelchair tennis is equally glad to have found Kaplan.
A full list of results from the Paris 2024 Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Event can be found here.