British wheelchair tennis players Alfie Hewett and Andy Lapthorne suffered defeats in the Australian Open 2026 men's singles and quad doubles events, respectively.
Alfie Hewett, a 10-time Grand Slam singles champion, was eliminated by Spanish player Martin de la Puente with a score of 6-4, 6-4. The loss came at the semi-finals stage, marking an early end to his title defence.
Hewett's men's doubles partner, Gordon Reid, also fell short in their quest for a seventh consecutive Australian Open title with men's doubles. They lost to Japan's Tokito Oda and Argentina's Gustavo Fernandez in a match tie-break.
Meanwhile, Andy Lapthorne, the second seed in the quad doubles event, suffered an early exit as well, losing to top seeds Guy Sasson and Niels Vink in the final. The 35-year-old Lapthorne had been targeting his third consecutive men's doubles title and ninth overall Melbourne title.
Alfie Hewett, a 10-time Grand Slam singles champion, was eliminated by Spanish player Martin de la Puente with a score of 6-4, 6-4. The loss came at the semi-finals stage, marking an early end to his title defence.
Hewett's men's doubles partner, Gordon Reid, also fell short in their quest for a seventh consecutive Australian Open title with men's doubles. They lost to Japan's Tokito Oda and Argentina's Gustavo Fernandez in a match tie-break.
Meanwhile, Andy Lapthorne, the second seed in the quad doubles event, suffered an early exit as well, losing to top seeds Guy Sasson and Niels Vink in the final. The 35-year-old Lapthorne had been targeting his third consecutive men's doubles title and ninth overall Melbourne title.
so the aussie open is all about the big names... or so we thought! 
i mean, don't get me wrong, alfie hewett is still a total legend on the court, 10 grand slam singles titles is no joke! but that semi-final loss to martin de la puente was a bit of a shock. and as for gordon reid, well, they're always a force to be reckoned with in men's doubles, but i guess not this year 
. on the other hand, andy lapthorne is still looking sharp in quad doubles, even if he didn't quite make it to the final... can't say ill be surprised though, top seeds are always tough to beat 
. anyhoo, can't wait for the next aussie open to see who'll be taking home the titles! 
. A decade of dominance is a tough thing to lose, especially when you're as close to retirement as Andy Lapthorne seems to be. It's like he knows his time in the spotlight is running out... 35 can't come soon enough? 
I remember watching my own sports idols struggle with this same issue and it's not easy. The mental game is just as hard to win as the physical one, you know? They'll bounce back, though. That's what they do best.
just watching these talented players compete is heartbreaking... so much pride on the line for them, their teams, and their countries 
... you can't help but think about all those hours of practice, dedication, and hard work that didn't quite pay off this time 
. I remember when my kids were playing sports back in the day, it was tough to see them lose too - you just want to be there for them, offer some words of encouragement, and remind them that it's not about one match or tournament, but about the journey they're on as athletes... Alfie and Andy are pros, though! They'll bounce back, regroup, and come stronger 
these Brits are so used to winning at Aus Open they forgot how to lose gracefully 
think alfie and gordon shoulda given up in 3 set tie break matches 
. anyways, gotta give credit to Martin de la Puente and Tokito Oda's doubles game was fire 
... and poor lappy 
. They'll be back on the court in no time, learning from their mistakes and working towards those next big wins 
!
. Maybe they'll bounce back stronger at Wimbledon or something 
! He's one of my all-time fave players, and I was so sure he'd win that semi-finals match 
! he's still an amazing tennis player and has so many awesome titles under his belt 
! yeah, maybe this year wasn't his best, but that's all part of the game 
! and can we talk about Andy Lapthorne? he's still got so much spirit & determination 
! third time's the charm, right? 
.
. I'm curious to see how he'll bounce back from this one 
. I know they'll bounce back though, they've been in tougher spots before 
, he's still a legend on and off the court 
️
Anyway, I guess that's just how tennis goes sometimes. 
At least Gordon Reid and Andy Lapthorne put up a good fight - it's not easy competing at the highest level. 
.
Back in my day, we had to deal with dodgy surfaces and equipment, but this is just ridiculous. And Andy Lapthorne's loss stings too - he was on fire last year and expected so much more from himself 
, i was so hyped to watch alfie hewett's match but the stream kept buffering like every 5 seconds 
. and now i have to scroll through all these tweets to find out what happened in that last match 