Sasson: I love Paris and I am going to party all night long
There must be something in the Parisian air which elevates Israel’s Guy Sasson to new trophy-winning heights. In June, he won his maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros and he is now the proud owner of a Paralympic bronze medal.
Sasson defeated Turkiye’s Ahmet Kaplan 5-7 6-4 6-1 in the quad singles bronze medal match to become the second Israeli player to win a Paralympic singles medal since wheelchair tennis became a full-medal sport in 1992.
The only other Israeli to win a Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis medal is Noam Gershony, who won quad singles gold at London 2012, but Sasson is now a fully signed-up member of an exclusive medal-holders club – and is ready to party.
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“We’re going to go to my favourite restaurant here in Paris – the restaurant of famous Israeli chef Assaf Granit – and we’re going to celebrate all night long,” said the 44-year-old.
“Paris is most definitely my favourite place in the world to play tennis. There is an amazing vibe here and the atmosphere, the courts, the venue – it’s the best place to be.
“This win – to win bronze – means a lot to me and I know it means a lot to my country and the people who are going through some dark days. I know for a lot of people, and the thousands in the stadium, it means a lot to them.
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“There are people from my country who need a little bit of hope at the present time, and I just hope this win gives them hope for the future. I know that things like this do give hope.
“I haven’t even opened my phone to see how many messages I have received but I know everyone is watching. I know that my whole country is watching. I’m actually afraid to look at my phone, but I promise to return a text message to everyone who texted me.”
Sasson, who was paralysed from the knees down in a snowboarding accident in Val Thorens, France in January 2015, had barely left the medal ceremony before the question of him competing at the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles was raised.
“Do you know how old I am? Let's celebrate tonight,” he joked. “I mean, I really want to come back to Roland Garros next year as it’s my favourite place. I really want to be here next year. After that, we’ll see.”