Lapthorne: It's time to start a life away from the tennis court
In the immediate aftermath of defeat in the quad doubles final alongside Greg Slade, an emotional but steadfast Andy Lapthorne announced that Paris 2024 will be the final Paralympic Games of his career.
The 33-year-old Briton called time on his Paralympic journey following his and Slade’s 6-1 6-1 defeat to Dutch powerhouses Sam Schroder and Niels Vink in a one-sided quad doubles final on Court Philippe Chatrier.
His decision brings down the curtain on a Paralympic career which began at London 2012 where he won quad doubles silver alongside Peter Norfolk, while further success followed in the shadow of Christ the Redeemer in Rio in 2016.
Lapthorne, who was born with cerebral palsy, won singles silver and doubles bronze in Brazil, while his silver in the French capital takes his Paralympic medal haul to four.
“This will be my last Paralympic match and it’s bittersweet,” said Lapthorne, who has 17 Grand Slam titles to his name across singles and doubles.
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“It’s been such an amazing journey, and this week has topped it off with the crowd, the reactions, the moments and the vibes. You think you’re going to do this forever but then you wake up and realise it's time you want to leave – it feels weird.
“It’s been an emotional 24 hours but I’m proud to have won another medal. Four Paralympic medals is not to be sniffed at but it’s time for me to leave this part of my career behind.
“I’m sad in a way but I’m also glad that I got to leave on my own terms. I’ve left it on Centre Court at a Grand Slam venue in front of a huge crowd. I have loved every single minute of it.”
Lapthorne has confirmed that he will continue to feature on the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour, but it is time to explore opportunities away from tennis – including meeting someone and starting a family.
“I'm going to carry on until my body fully tells me to stop,” he added. But I'm ready to go and start a life away from the court. That doesn't mean stopping playing, but it means sometimes other things are going to take priority over playing tennis matches.
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“Since I was 16 years old, the priority has always been tennis. I missed my uncle's funeral this year to be in Australia and those are things which people don’t see.
“For me, it's time to hopefully meet someone, to start a family, build a family, and hopefully play tennis alongside that. I’ve always said I wouldn't wear this shirt if I didn't think I could win a gold medal, and I don't think in Los Angeles in 2028 I'll be able to win gold.
“I think I've played over 600 matches and the body starts to scream at you when I was doing things like I was doing the other day [against Ahmet Kaplan]. I'm trying to push myself to a place where I probably shouldn't be taking the body and taking the mind.”
When a long-standing and respected competitor in any sport calls time on their career, the question of legacy is always raised. Lapthorne delivered his answer in the same way he has delivered much on court over the years – with poise, purpose and certainty.
“I've just played in front of a full stadium here, so I think the sport is in a much better place,” he said. “The quad division, in particular, is in a much better place.
“My legacy will hopefully be someone who always left it out there – sometimes a bit mental, sometimes a bit crazy – but someone who never let up and always tried to win the last point. If I can be remembered for that, I'll be happy.”
A full list of results from the Paris 2024 Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Event can be found here.