Dylan Alcott
 2016 Australian Paralympic Team portrait of Alcott | |
| Country (sports) | Australia |
|---|---|
| Residence | Hampton East, Victoria |
| Born | 4 December 1990 Melbourne, Victoria |
| Turned pro | 2014 |
| Plays | Quad, Right-handed |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 233–54 (81.2%) |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (29 June 2015) |
| Current ranking | No. 1 (20 July 2021) |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | W (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) |
| French Open | W (2019, 2020, 2021) |
| Wimbledon | W (2019, 2021) |
| US Open | W (2015, 2018) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Masters | W (2018) |
| Paralympic Games | W (2016) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 104–42 (71.2%) |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (9 September 2019) |
| Current ranking | No. 1 (16 March 2020) |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | W (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) |
| French Open | W (2019) |
| Wimbledon | W (2019) |
| US Open | W (2019, 2020) |
| Other doubles tournaments | |
| Paralympic Games | W (2016) |
| Basketball career | |
| Dandenong Rangers | |
| Position | Guard |
| League | National Wheelchair Basketball League (NWBL) |
| Career information | |
| Playing career | 2004–2012 |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
show
Medal record | |
| Last updated on: 10 June 2021. | |
Dylan Martin Alcott, OAM (born 4 December 1990)[1] is an Australian wheelchair basketball player, wheelchair tennis player, radio host and motivational speaker. Alcott was a member of the Australia men's national wheelchair basketball team, known colloquially as the Australian "Rollers". At the age of 17 he became the youngest "Rollers" gold medal winner for wheelchair basketball, and was the youngest to compete in the Wheelchair Basketball competition.[2] In 2014, he returned to wheelchair tennis with the aim of participating at the 2016 Rio Paralympics,[2][3] at which he won gold medals in the Men's Quad Singles and Doubles.[1][4] He was named the 2016 Australian Paralympian of the Year due to his outstanding achievements at Rio.[5]
Alongside his sporting career, he hosted the weekend afternoon radio show on Australian radio station Triple J, and the ABC live music show The Set, as well as being a commentator for the 2019 Australian Open. He also was a member of the panel on the AFL Footy Show in 2019. He is the only man to complete the Calendar-Year Grand Slam in quad doubles, winning all four major titles in 2019; in addition he has also won a non-calendar year Grand Slam in quad singles.
Early life[]
Dylan Alcott was born in Melbourne, Victoria, to parents Martin and Resie. He has an older brother named Zack.[2] He was born with a tumour wrapped around his spinal cord which was operated on during the first few weeks of his life.[6] The tumour was successfully cut out; however, it left Alcott a paraplegic, requiring him to use a wheelchair.
Alcott attended Brighton Grammar School from grade 6, and competed for Victoria in swimming, and Australia for wheelchair tennis and wheelchair basketball. Alcott graduated Brighton Grammar school in 2008.[6]
Alcott's first sport of choice was wheelchair tennis, where he represented Australia on numerous occasions, reaching a ranking of 100 in the world by age 16 (4th in the world for under-18s).
Basketball[]
Alcott played his first game of wheelchair basketball aged 14.[2] Alcott made his debut for the Rollers at the 2006 World Championship, where they won a bronze medal. Alcott continued to hold his spot and was a member of the Rollers who travelled to the Beijing Olympic warm-up tournament in January 2008. Alcott made his name in basketball through his performances in the national league competition, competing for the Dandenong Rangers and being selected in the all star team for 2008. He has achieved success through junior competition as well; being named the Most Valuable Player at the Junior National Basketball Championships.[citation needed]
Alcott was part of the gold medal winning Australia men's national wheelchair basketball team at the 2008 Summer Paralympics,[7][8] for which he received a Medal of the Order of Australia.[9] In his first Paralympics Dylan was quoted; "To be 17 and win gold... well it just doesn't get any better than that".[10]
In 2009, Alcott accepted a scholarship at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, where he went on to win the College Championship division with the University of Illinois wheelchair basketball team. After one year of study, he decided to move back to Melbourne to train for the 2012 London Paralympic Games.
In 2010, Alcott was a part of the Rollers success at the 2010 World Championships in Birmingham, England. It was the first world championship the Australian wheelchair basketball team had ever won, and Alcott was named in the World All Star 5 for the tournament.
At the 2012 Summer Paralympics, Alcott was part of the Australian men's wheelchair team that won silver.[11]
Tennis[]
In 2014, Alcott returned to wheelchair tennis.[12] At the age of 16, he was ranked inside the top five juniors in the world.[12] In July 2014, he defeated world number three Andy Lapthorne 7–5, 6–1 in the British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championship final in Nottingham to win his first Super Series crown.[13] Early in the year, he won the New Zealand Open in just his second tournament appearance.[13] In January 2015, he won the quad wheelchair Australian Open title by defeating David Wagner in straight sets.[14] It was his maiden grand slam title.[14] At the conclusion on 2015, he was ranked number 1 after winning eight titles including two grand slam singles titles.[3]
Alcott teamed up with Heath Davidson to win the Men's Quad Doubles gold medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.[1] They defeated the reigning champions David Wagner and Nick Taylor in the gold medal match 4–6, 6–4, 7–5.[1] The day after winning gold in the Men's Doubles, he defeated Andy Lapthorne 6–3, 6–4 to win the gold medal in the Men's Quad Singles.[1]
In 2018, Alcott won his first Wheelchair Tennis Masters title in the Quads singles event.[15]
Personal life[]
Alcott has a Commerce degree from the University of Melbourne. He currently works as a motivational speaker and as a radio host on Triple J.[16] In his spare time, Alcott attends music festivals, and has become known for his "wheelchair crowdsurfing".[17] In 2018, he launched Ability Fest, a universally accessible music festival, featuring pathways for wheelchairs, quiet areas for people with sensory disabilities, and Auslan (Australian Sign Language) interpreters.[18] Alcott was a panel member on the AFL Footy Show until the show was cancelled in 2019.
Alcott's advice to young people with a disability is: "The biggest thing is that for every one thing you can’t do, there are 10,000 others you can. For every one idiot to give you a hard time, there are 10,000 others worth your time."[2]
In 2017, Alcott established the Dylan Alcott Foundation "with the core purpose of helping young Australians with disabilities gain self-esteem and respect through sport and study".[19] In September 2017, Alcott was appointed Australian Patron for International Day of People with Disability.[20]
Alcott’s biography, Able: Gold Medals, Grand Slams and Smashing Glass Ceilings, written with Grantlee Kieza, was published by ABC Books in 2018.[21]
Alcott's partner is sex therapist Chantelle Otten.[22]
Tennis career statistics[]
Grand Slam performance timelines[]
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
Current through 2021 Wimbledon.
Quad singles[]
| Tournament | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | RR | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | 7 / 8 |
| French Open | Not held | W | W | W | 3 / 3 | ||||
| Wimbledon | Not held | W | NH | W | 2 / 2 | ||||
| US Open | A | W | NH | RR | W | F | F | 2 / 5 | |
Quad doubles[]
| Tournament | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | F | F | F | F | W | W | W | W | 4 / 8 |
| French Open | Not held | W | F | F | 1 / 3 | ||||
| Wimbledon | Not held | F[a] | W | NH | F | 1 / 3 | |||
| US Open | A | F | NH | F | F | W | W | 2 / 5 | |
- ^ Exhibition match.
Grand Slam finals[]
Quad singles: 16 (14 titles, 2 runner-up)[]
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 2015 | Australian Open | Hard |  David Wagner |
6–2, 6–3 |
| Win | 2015 | US Open | Hard | David Wagner |
6–1, 4–6, 7–5 |
| Win | 2016 | Australian Open (2) | Hard | David Wagner |
6–2, 6–2 |
| Win | 2017 | Australian Open (3) | Hard |  Andy Lapthorne |
6–2, 6–2 |
| Win | 2018 | Australian Open (4) | Hard | David Wagner |
7–6, 6–1 |
| Win | 2018 | US Open (2) | Hard | David Wagner |
7–5, 6–2 |
| Win | 2019 | Australian Open (5) | Hard | David Wagner |
6–4, 7–6(7–2) |
| Win | 2019 | French Open | Clay | David Wagner |
6–2, 4–6, 6–2 |
| Win | 2019 | Wimbledon | Grass | Andy Lapthorne |
6–0, 6–2 |
| Loss | 2019 | US Open | Hard | Andy Lapthorne |
1–6, 0–6 |
| Win | 2020 | Australian Open (6) | Hard | Andy Lapthorne |
6–0, 6–4 |
| Loss | 2020 | US Open | Hard |  Sam Schröder |
6–7(5–7), 6–0, 4–6 |
| Win | 2020 | French Open (2) | Clay | Andy Lapthorne |
6–2, 6–2 |
| Win | 2021 | Australian Open (7) | Hard | Sam Schröder |
6–1, 6–0 |
| Win | 2021 | French Open (3) | Clay | Sam Schröder |
6–4, 6–2 |
| Win | 2021 | Wimbledon (2) | Grass | Sam Schröder |
6–2, 6–2 |
Quad doubles: 18 (8 titles, 10 runner-ups)[]
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 2014 | Australian Open | Hard |  Lucas Sithole |
Andy Lapthorne David Wagner |
4–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 2015 | Australian Open | Hard | Lucas Sithole |
Andy Lapthorne David Wagner |
0–6, 6–3, 2–6 |
| Loss | 2015 | US Open | Hard |  Gauri Sharma |
Nicholas Taylor David Wagner |
6–4, 2–6, [7–10] |
| Loss | 2016 | Australian Open | Hard | Andy Lapthorne |
Lucas Sithole David Wagner |
1–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 2017 | Australian Open | Hard |  Heath Davidson |
Andy Lapthorne David Wagner |
3–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 2017 | US Open | Hard | Bryan Barten |
Andy Lapthorne David Wagner |
5–7, 2–6 |
| Win | 2018 | Australian Open | Hard | Heath Davidson |
Andy Lapthorne David Wagner |
6–0, 6–7(5–7), [10–6] |
| Loss | 2018 | US Open | Hard | Bryan Barten |
Andy Lapthorne David Wagner |
6–3, 0–6, [4–10] |
| Win | 2019 | Australian Open (2) | Hard | Heath Davidson |
Andy Lapthorne David Wagner |
6–3, 6–7(6–8), [12–10] |
| Win | 2019 | French Open | Clay | David Wagner |
  |
6–3, 6–3 |
| Win | 2019 | Wimbledon | Grass | Andy Lapthorne |
Koji Sugeno David Wagner |
6–2, 7–6(7–4) |
| Win | 2019 | US Open | Hard | Andy Lapthorne |
Bryan Barten David Wagner |
6–7(5–7), 6–1, [10–6] |
| Win | 2020 | Australian Open (3) | Hard | Heath Davidson |
Andy Lapthorne David Wagner |
6–4, 6–3 |
| Win | 2020 | US Open (2) | Hard | Andy Lapthorne |
Sam Schröder David Wagner |
3–6, 6–4, [10–8] |
| Loss | 2020 | French Open | Clay | Andy Lapthorne |
Sam Schröder David Wagner |
6–4, 5–7, [8–10] |
| Win | 2021 | Australian Open (4) | Hard | Heath Davidson |
Andy Lapthorne David Wagner |
6–2, 3–6, [10–7] |
| Loss | 2021 | French Open | Clay | Sam Schröder |
Andy Lapthorne David Wagner |
6–7(1–7), 6–4, [7–10] |
| Loss | 2021 | Wimbledon | Grass | Sam Schröder |
Andy Lapthorne David Wagner |
1–6, 6–3, 4–6 |
Recognition[]
- 2009 – Medal of the Order of Australia[9]
- 2015 – Tennis Australia Newcombe Medal nominee[23]
- 2015 – Tennis Australia Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability[24]
- 2015 – Victorian Institute of Sport Award of Excellence[25]
- 2016 – [26]
- 2016 – Finalist for 'The Don Award' Sport Australia Hall of Fame awards[27]
- 2016 – Australian Paralympian of the Year and Australian Male Paralympian of the Year[5][28]
- 2016 – Tennis Australia Awards – Newcombe Medal and shared the Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability with doubles partner Heath Davidson[29]
- 2016 – Victorian Institute of Sport Elite Athlete with a Disability Award[30]
- 2018 – International Tennis Federation Quad Wheelchair World Champion[31]
- 2019 – Logie Awards – Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent[32]
- 2019 – Victorian Institute of Sport Elite Athlete with a Disability Award [33]
- 2019 – Tennis Australia Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability[34]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Dylan Alcott". Rio Paralympics Official site. Archived from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e McLachlan, Hamish (7 November 2015). "Hamish McLachlan: What you didn't know about paralympian Dylan Alcott". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Fan favourite Alcott defends quad wheelchair title". AustralianTennis Open website. Retrieved 30 January 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Paralympic glory in sight for Australia's wheelchair tennis athletes". Australian Paralympic Committee website. Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Alcott crowned Paralympian of the Year". Australian Paralympic Committee News. Archived from the original on 1 December 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
- ^ Jump up to: a b A c h i e v i n g S u c c e s s I n L i f e, L e a r n i n g & S p o r t : Eight School Aged Athletes Share Their Journey. Melbourne: Victorian Institute of Sport. 2008.
- ^ McGarry, Andrew (4 September 2008). "Event guide: Wheelchair basketball". ABC. Archived from the original on 13 November 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
- ^ "Basketball Chronology". Basketball Australia. 2010. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)". ABC News. 27 January 2009. Archived from the original on 17 September 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
- ^ "Athlete Profile – Dylan Alcott". Australian Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 20 August 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
- ^ "Men's Wheelchair Basketball Results". London 2012 Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Australia's Dylan Alcott returns to first love". International Paralympic Committee News, 10 February. Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Dylan Alcott wins the British Open Tennis Crown". Australian Paralympic Committee News, 21 July 2014. Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Morgan, Liam. "Alcott claims maiden Grand Slam title in front of home crowd at Australian Open". Inside the Games, 31 January 2015. Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
- ^ "Dylan Alcott wins first title". Paralympics. 3 December 2018. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
- ^ Wilmoth, Peter (17 July 2017). "The extraordinary life of paralympian-turned-DJ Dylan Alcott". The Weekly Review. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
- ^ Te Koha, Nui (14 December 2014). "Paralympian Dylan Alcott wows crowd at Meredith Music Festival". Herald-Sun. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
- ^ Asher, Nicole (7 April 2018). "Melbourne's first Ability Fest launched by Paralympian Dylan Alcott". ABC News. Archived from the original on 8 April 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- ^ "What we do". Dylan Alcott Foundation. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- ^ "Dylan Alcott announced as Patron for International Day of People with Disability". Dept. of Social Services website. Archived from the original on 4 December 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
- ^ Alcott, Dylan; Kieza, author.), Grantle (2018). Able : gold medals, grand slams and smashing glass ceilings. Sydney, NSW : ABC Books. ISBN 9780733339875. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
- ^ "Dylan Alcott's partner Chantelle Otten shares sex confession about the couple's first time". News.com.au. 20 December 2020. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- ^ McGowan, Marc (24 November 2015). "Dylan Alcott's Newcombe medal snub a bad look following Kyrgios/Tomic excuse". Adelaide Advertiser. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
- ^ "Australian Tennis Awards Honour Roll". Tennis Australia website. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
- ^ "Victorian Champion Wins VIS Sport Of Excellence Award". Minister of Sport and Recreation Media Releasr. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
- ^ "The Best of the Best Honoured at the Victorian Sports Awards". Best of the Best Honoured at the Victorian Sports Awards. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
- ^ "'The Don' 2016 Finalists Announced". Sport Australia Hall of Fame website. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
- ^ Walsh, Scott (8 December 2016). "Dylan Alcott wins double at Australian Paralympic Awards". The Courier-Mail. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
- ^ "Alcott awarded 2016 Newcombe Medal". Tennis Australia website. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
- ^ "Mighty Mack wins Award of Excellence". Victorian Institute of Sport website. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- ^ "Alcott named ITF wheelchair quad world champion". Tennis Australia website. Archived from the original on 18 December 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- ^ Idato, Michael (30 June 2019). "ABC, Ten win big, Tom Gleeson takes gold at Logie Awards". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 30 June 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
- ^ "James goes back-to-back". Victorian Institute of Sport website. Retrieved 21 November 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Australian Tennis Awards winners honoured in Melbourne". Tennis Australia. 2 December 2019. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
External links[]
| External video | |
|---|---|
 One Plus One: Dylan Alcott, One Plus One, ABC News |
- Dylan Alcott at Tennis Australia
- Dylan Alcott at the International Tennis Federation
- Australian Paralympic Committee profile
- Dylan Alcott on Twitter
- Dylan Alcott Full Biography at ICMI.com.au
| show Paralympic Wheelchair tennis Quad Singles Champions |
|---|
- Australia at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
- 1990 births
- Living people
- Australian men's wheelchair basketball players
- Australian male tennis players
- Wheelchair tennis players
- Wheelchair category Paralympic competitors
- Paralympic wheelchair basketball players of Australia
- Paralympic wheelchair tennis players of Australia
- Paralympic gold medalists for Australia
- Paralympic silver medalists for Australia
- Medalists at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
- Wheelchair basketball players at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
- Wheelchair basketball players at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
- Wheelchair tennis players at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
- Wheelchair tennis players at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
- Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia
- People educated at Brighton Grammar School
- People with paraplegia
- Australian disability rights activists
- Illinois Fighting Illini Paralympic athletes
- Tennis people from Victoria (Australia)
- Guards (basketball)
- Paralympic medalists in wheelchair tennis
- Paralympic medalists in wheelchair basketball