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in the men's doubles, while, until the 2018 Australian Open, the only trophy ceremonies Kunieda shed a tear in were the Paralympics. The 2018 Australian Open was significant as it was his first Grand Slam triumph since the 2015 US Open, with the intervening period seeing him undergo career-threatening elbow surgery that stifled his Paralympic defence in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Pain was still evident as he took to the court in Rio and ultimately it proved too much, with a below-par showing and underwhelming quarter-final exit at the hands of Belgium's Joachim Gerard unfolding. A bronze in the doubles alongside Saida offered some comfort, although memories of Rio and the inability to perform at his best still haunt Kunieda and act as motivation. There would appear to be unfinished Paralympic business. "Listening to the Japanese national anthem always takes me back to the medal ceremonies at Athens, Beijing and London and allows me to feel what I did at the time," added Kunieda, who is an eight-time ITF World Champion. "I would love to experience that again, especially after Rio. I have many positive memories of the other three Games, but I've never watched the video from Rio. The image is so strong that my heart sinks at the sight of a photograph from that time. "I feared the ball flying towards me and the impact of it on my racket, that's how painful it was." For the first time in more than a decade, Kunieda will arrive at a Games without the status of being a defending singles champion, although the lack of that tag has allowed him to adopt a different mindset. After all, he is bidding to become only the second wheelchair tennis player in history, after Australia's David Hall in 2000, to brush aside the pressure and scrutiny and seal a gold medal in singles competition at a home Games. "I won't be the defending champion in Tokyo, I will be the challenger and that's easier mentally. I can approach every match as a challenger and that's good for me," he said. "As a champion, sometimes I would think, 'I have to win this match', so it was more pressure for me. But as the challenger I can challenge point by point. It allows for a more aggressive style and it is easier to play this way." Kunieda was paralysed in the lower half of his body after a tumour was found in his spinal cord aged nine, while his wheelchair tennis While there have been tough moments along the way, Kunieda has won many tles during an illustrious career. His latest Grand Slam crown (far right) arrived at the US Open in September 2020 3 1 2 22 Spring 2021 ITF World

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