BNP Paribas World Team Cup: Netherlands power to fourth quad title
The Netherlands secured a fourth BNP Paribas World Team Cup quad title in five years as the 2025 edition of the ITF’s flagship wheelchair tennis team event neared its end with the two-man Dutch team of Sam Schroder and Niels Vink defeating Brazil 2-0 on the sixth and final day of competition in Antalya, Turkiye.
The decision of the Netherlands not to contest the quad World Group in 2024 created an environment whereby the event would end with its first ever South American champions as Chile made history.
Twelve months on and Brazil had the opportunity to repeat the South American success, but ultimately the three-man Brazilian team had to be content with reaching the World Team Cup final for the first time and improving on the bronze medal-winning performance in 2022.
However, Brazil didn’t start this year’s final like underdogs as Ymanitu Silva established an early 2-0 lead over world No. 2 Sam Schroder, prompting Schroder to enter into deep conversation with Dutch captain Daiki Kato at the change of ends.
It wasn’t until the seventh game that Schroder hit the front against Silva, but once the Paris Paralympic silver medallist found his rhythm Silva’s spirited challenge began to fade and Schroder went on to a 6-4 6-0 victory.
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Leandro Pena has succeeded Silva as Brazil’s No.1 quad singles player in recent times and the 34-year-old world No. 11 has joined his compatriot in doing Brazil proud in Antalya this year, the third seeds defeating second seeds Great Britain in the semi-finals.
Pena posed problems for world No.1 Niels Vink throughout their singles match, no more so than when trying to out-manoeuvre Vink with an exquisite lob in the fourth game. As the live stream commentator declared, it was a shot that was of the highest quality and ‘would have beaten most players…but Niels Vink is not most players’.
The 22-year-old Paralympic gold medallist raced back to his baseline and flicked a backhand down the line from behind himself, the shot landing with pinpoint accuracy on Pena’s right tramline and the Brazilian subsequently sent his forehand reply into the net.
Vink raised his fist and beamed from ear-to-ear after a moment of magic and, while Pena would go on to avoid being on the wrong end of a first-set bagel Vink, continued to dominate the majority of the action to close out a 6-1 6-0 victory.
Having lost out to Brazil in the semi-finals Great Britain returned to the quad World Group medal table for the first time since lifting the World Group title in 2017 after Paris Paralympic silver medallists Andy Lapthorne and Greg Slade beat Australian duo Finn Broadbent and Benjamin Wenzel 6-4, 6-1 in a deciding doubles match in the bronze medal play-off.