Mathewson refuses to close door on fourth Paralympics in Los Angeles
American Dana Mathewson has left the door open for a fourth Paralympic appearance at Los Angeles 2028 after crashing out of the women’s singles at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Event.
For the first time in her Paralympic career, Mathewson lost in the opening round following defeat to Xiaohui Li of China, P.R. despite firing herself into a commanding position by taking the first set. Li eventually prevailed 5-7 6-3 6-4.
Expectations remain that Mathewson is likely to call time on her Paralympic career following Paris 2024 and indeed retire from wheelchair tennis altogether – a stance she has reiterated on numerous occasions.
However, the 33-year-old appeared to row back on her position in the aftermath of her Paris 2024 exit. While retirement may still be in the offing, it would appear to be far from a done deal.
“I’m not really sure if it’s going to be my last Paralympic Games,” said Mathewson, who was diagnosed with a rare auto-immune condition called transverse myelitis at the age of 11 and left paralysed from the waist down.
“It’s always hard when it gets closer to hanging up your racket. There ‘s been talk about it being my last Paralympics and it is every four years, which is a long commitment.
“But then I’m from San Diego and Los Angeles is only two hours away. I have always said that I think this may be my last Paralympic Games, but never say never.”
Mathewson, who won gold at last year’s Parapan American Games, began her Paralympic journey at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro where she reached the second round before succumbing to Aniek van Koot of the Netherlands.
Five years later in Tokyo, she recorded her best Paralympic result by reaching the quarter-finals, only to lose a topsy-turvy three-set encounter with Great Britain’s Jordanne Whiley.
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But competing at the Paralympics is far more than a final placing in a draw, there is a much bigger picture, which is something Mathewson is acutely aware of.
“The Paralympic Movement is really special,” she added. “It's not just that token, inspirational thing that people usually bill it as, like showing what the body can do. That’s not wrong by the way, that's very much part of what the Paralympics are.
“But I think piggybacking on that, I like to think of it more as showing how good we are. It's not often that we get to be separated from our disability and just recognised for performance.
“We’re also educating and changing the minds of people who previously might not have embraced disability the same. It means a lot to be a change-maker.
“Just by competing here, we’re all showing not only what the human spirit can do, but that athletes with disabilities are pure athletes. That message is so important for people because it humanises disability.
“In turn, that’s what makes people connect with us as people as opposed to just seeing us as a disabled people. It’s often the case that when someone sees someone in a wheelchair, they think they can’t do things.
“If a kid watches me today and goes away and sees a kid in a wheelchair in the coming months, maybe now they will wonder if they play sports and invite them to play with them. That’s important change.”
Building on that, those players, like Mathewson, who competed on either Court Philippe Chatrier or Court Suzanne Lenglan on Saturday did so in front of sell-out crowds, while the same is expected on Sunday. A major step forward, according to Mathewson.
“That’s always the fear,” she said. “I remember before the match started, I was worried. I was hoping that we had sold tickets and in my head I was thinking, ‘Paris has already had Roland Garros and the Olympics, maybe they’re going to be tired of tennis, maybe they want something else'.
“I’ve been so surprised. I’ve been trying to get tickets to watch one of my best friends in judo and that’s sold out also. It’s so cool and I’ve never experienced that before. I hope this is a shift towards what it’s going to be like all of the time.”
If this is to be goodbye then Mathewson has more than played her part and been a force for good within the Paralympic Movement and wheelchair tennis. If a further Paralympic appearance is in the offing, all the better.