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"I was pretty young at the time but I remember thinking: 'this is strange'. But then I realised that using a wheelchair was far easier than struggling to try and walk and not get places as fast as I'd like," added Alcott. "I was very lucky to have the most incredibly accepting family who didn't see me as different but instead treated me exactly the same." To his own admission, Alcott experienced bullying and loneliness, at times feeling despondent, overweight – search childhood photos and he says there will be "some alarming but hilarious shots" – and fearful for his future. But through sport, Alcott began to fight back and proceeded to swim for his home state of Victoria and compete for Australia at both wheelchair tennis and wheelchair basketball. In 2008, while aged just 17, he scooped gold as part of the Australian men's wheelchair basketball team at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, while a silver medal followed in London four years later. He returned to tennis in 2014 and a conveyor belt of silverware has followed. Alcott has seven Grand Slam singles and two Grand Slam doubles titles, one NEC Masters crown and two Paralympic gold medals to his name. No player has won more Grand Slam quad singles crowns than Alcott, who has targeted "as many as possible", saying that "I don't make all tournaments due to other commitments but when I do, I'm there for one reason". The other commitments which Alcott alludes to are wide-ranging: he holds a commerce degree, he is a motivational speaker and radio host and in 2017 he established the Dylan Alcott Foundation, which helps young disabled people in Australia fulfil their dreams through sport and study. "My hobbies off the tennis court make me a better player on the court," said Alcott. "Without them, I'd go a little insane. I'm very aware that sport has been the direction I have chosen and lucky enough to pursue, however it's not for everyone. "Finding a way where I can still connect with people in their interests and encourage change has been and will continue to be very important to me." Outside interests and the desire to be more than a sportsman have led to "epic" comparisons with former England football captain David Beckham. Alcott concluded: "If the two if us can continue to inspire outside of sport, I'm certainly not opposed to that." ■ A CONVERSATION WITH 11-TIME GRAND SLAM WINNER ROD LAVER AT JANUARY'S AUSTRALIAN OPEN HAS IGNITED A BURNING desire within Dylan Alcott to emulate his fellow countryman and attain sporting immortality. Alcott has long been an advocate of quad singles and doubles featuring at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, in addition to their regular slots at the Australian and US Opens, and in 2019, for the first time, they will. The 28-year-old is a serial title winner on the hard courts of Melbourne and New York, and the world No. 1 is now spying an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Laver and scale new heights. By winning the 1962 US Open, Laver became the first man to be crowned singles champion in all four major tournaments in the same year since Don Budge in 1938. Laver would go on to repeat the feat in 1969. "As an elite tennis player growing up, you dream of playing the four Grand Slams and for this to be possible for me is a dream come true," Alcott told ITFWorld. "I spent some time with Rod Laver during the last Australian Open and heard all about his Grand Slam. With the four majors now on my circuit this is certainly a tempting triumph." Whether that particular goal is achievable immediately remains to be seen, although victory at his home Grand Slam at the turn of the year ensured the first of those four potential hurdles has been successfully cleared. Following his fifth consecutive Australian Open crown, secured courtesy of a 6-4 7-6(2) defeat of American David Wagner, Alcott took to the microphone and delivered the most emotional and poignant victory speech of his career. Rod Laver Arena was collectively moved to tears as the 28-year-old spoke passionately about his lifelong dream to flourish in the mainstream and be proof that disabled people can be elite at whatever they choose to do. "This was probably the most raw I've ever been on the public stage as I was truly overcome by the support of both my friends and family, but more so the entire nation," said Alcott. "I spoke about how growing up I never saw anyone like me on the television which meant I didn't have direct role models. I am very aware of the impact that seeing someone who looks just like you on the big screen has. "That is why having the Australian Open final televised on Nine's Wide World of Sports was a highlight of my career – I still get goosebumps thinking about the change we're making in sport. "More visibility of wheelchair tennis in general is what we want, although it goes wider than sport. I have a saying that I live by: 'for every one thing I can't do, there are 10,000 others that I can'. Everyone can be elite in their own hobby or profession." Alcott's desire to be a pioneer for disabled people can be traced to the first few weeks of his life, when he was born with a tumour wrapped around his spinal cord which required immediate surgery. The tumour was successfully removed, although he was left a paraplegic. S I N G L E S D O U B L E S Australian Open 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 US Open 2015, 2018 Masters 2018 Paralympic gold 2016 Australian Open 2018, 2019 Paralympic gold 2016 CAREER TITLES "for every one thing I can't do, there are 10,000 others that I can. Everyone can be elite in their own hobby or profession." ITFWorld // SPRING 2019 33 BELOW: Alcott celebrates winning gold at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro Rod Laver won all four Grand Slam singles titles in 1962 and 1969

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