Kamiji seals career Golden Slam with long-awaited Wimbledon triumph
Japan’s Yui Kamiji has made history by winning her maiden Wimbledon title and clinching the career Golden Slam in wheelchair tennis singles following a stunning victory over Diede de Groot on Court No. 3.
As a reminder, the career Golden Slam constitutes titles at all four Grand Slams – Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open – together with a gold medal at the Paralympic Games.
Losing the Wimbledon final in agonising fashion 12 months ago put Kamiji’s membership to one of wheelchair tennis’s most exclusive clubs on hold, but there was a sense this time around she would not be denied.
Stylish and ruthless, Kamiji brushed aside 24-time Grand Slam singles champion De Groot 6-0 6-0 – the first time the Dutchwoman has been on the end of such a scoreline in her career. Quite simply, Kamiji was devastating.
The 32-year-old is the sixth wheelchair tennis player to compete the Golden Slam in singles after De Groot, Japanese duo Shingo Kunieda and Tokito Oda, Dylan Alcott and Niels Vink. It was true theatre and a career-defining moment for Kamiji.
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“I am very happy to win all four Grand Slam titles and the career Golden Slam,” said world No. 1 Kamiji. “More importantly, I am so happy that I could share the moment with my family, my team and people who have supported me.
“It was a dream of mine to win a career Golden Slam and the Wimbledon title was my biggest aim this year. I cannot really believe it has happened, but I am going to need more time to process what I have achieved.
“I woke up this morning ready to focus on every point and every game and put everything I have into winning – and I am so pleased I have. I was very disappointed after losing last year’s final and it has felt a long time to this moment.
“I was very emotional after the match. Emotional for the win but also for the way in which I work and those I have worked with. I was having flashbacks to faces I have worked with and who have helped me achieve this.”
While De Groot still leads the head-to-head record 49-21, Kamiji has won six of her last nine matches against her rival with some of those victories reserved for the sport’s biggest stages.
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One of the biggest was Kamiji defeating De Groot in the final at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Event to become the first non-Dutch player to win wheelchair women’s singles gold. That victory laid the foundation for today’s celebrations.
“Diede and I have played each other a lot of times,” added Kamiji. “For me, my biggest match against her was at Paris 2024 where the last point was a double fault. This time, I really wanted to finish on my serve and finish it myself.
“On match point, I just really focused on where I was going to serve, and I was a little bit late in noticing that her ball had not gone over the net.”
Kamiji now has 12 Grand Slam singles titles to her name as well as 23 Grand Slam doubles titles, which could become 24 on Sunday when she and Zhu Zhenzhen face Li Xiaohui and Wang Ziying in the women’s doubles final.
A further precious moment may await, although it will be going some to top this. After all, it is not every day you enter your sport’s pantheon but that is exactly that Kamiji has done – and it is fully deserved.