Israeli wheelchair tennis player Guy Sasson and his Dutch partner, Niels Vink, took the quad doubles wheelchair tennis title at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Friday.
The victory makes the pair the reigning champions in all four Grand Slam tournaments, following titles last year at the French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open.
Sasson and Vink defeated Heath Davidson (Australia) and Andy Lapthorne (Britain) in straight sets, 6–3, 6–1, in a match that lasted 63 minutes.
The win carried added significance after Sasson and Vink lost last year’s Australia Open final to Lapthorne and Sam Schröder (the Netherlands).
The victory gives Sasson a career Grand Slam in quad doubles and positions him and Vink to attempt a calendar-year Grand Slam— something never achieved in quad doubles competition.
Born and raised in Ramat Gan, the 45-year-old Sasson took up wheelchair tennis after a snowboarding accident in France left him paralyzed from the knees down.
Following Friday’s victory, Sasson reflected on the team’s mindset heading into the final, noting lessons learned from previous losses.
“In the last two years coming into this final match, we were the favorites and I came to this match very relaxed and we didn’t get the result that we wanted,” the 45-year-old said. “This time I also felt that we are very strong and we played very well, but I had my thoughts about the last two years. Once we were getting going, I felt that it was going our way.”
Sasson dedicated his share of the trophy to the victims of the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14, 2025.
“I want to dedicate my side of this trophy to the 15 people we lost, the Jewish people at Bondi Beach a month and a half ago,” he said. “It’s terrible, but we have to continue. Let’s rise and shine. Am Yisrael chai!”
