Shingo Kunieda, a retired Japanese wheelchair tennis legend, claimed victory in the men’s singles at the inaugural Miami Open Wheelchair Invitational. In a highly anticipated best-of-three sets final, he defeated current world No. 1 Alfie Hewett of Britain.

At the age of 40, Kunieda had an illustrious career, with 28 singles and 22 doubles Grand Slam titles and four Paralympic gold medals to his name. Although he announced his retirement in January of the previous year, Kunieda proved that he still had what it takes to compete at the highest level by emerging victorious in this prestigious tournament.

Kunieda reflected on his unexpected win, expressing disbelief at his success after taking a break of around one-and-a-half years before making his triumphant return to defeat Hewett, the top-ranked player in the world. His last competitive match had ended in defeat to Hewett at the 2022 U.S. Open final, making his victory at the Miami Open even more remarkable.

In addition to competing as a player, Kunieda also served as director of the tournament. His presence and leadership helped make the inaugural Miami Open Wheelchair Invitational a memorable and successful event for all involved.