Dylan Alcott facts for kids
2016 Australian Paralympic team portrait of Alcott
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| Country (sports) | Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Residence | Hampton East, Victoria | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 4 December 1990 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
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| Turned pro | 2014 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Plays | Quad, right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Singles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 245–55 (81.67%) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (29 June 2015) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam singles results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | W (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| French Open | W (2019, 2020, 2021) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | W (2019, 2021) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| US Open | W (2015, 2018, 2021) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Masters | W (2018) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Paralympic Games | W (2016, 2020) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Doubles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 108–46 (70.13%) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (9 September 2019) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam doubles results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | W (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| French Open | W (2019) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | W (2019) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| US Open | W (2019, 2020) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other doubles tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Paralympic Games | W (2016) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Dylan Martin Alcott is an amazing Australian athlete. He used to play both wheelchair tennis and wheelchair basketball. He is also a radio host, actor, and speaker. Dylan was part of the Australian "Rollers" wheelchair basketball team. At just 17, he won a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. This made him the youngest Rollers gold medalist ever.
In 2014, Dylan switched back to wheelchair tennis. He wanted to compete in the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio. There, he won two gold medals in Men's Quad Singles and Doubles. Because of his great success, he was named the 2016 Australian Paralympian of the Year.
Dylan Alcott is the only man to achieve a "Golden Slam" in quad singles. This means he won all four major tennis tournaments and the Paralympics in the same year (2021). He also won a "Grand Slam" in quad doubles in 2019. This means he won all four major doubles titles that year.
Outside of sports, Dylan hosted a radio show on Triple J. He also hosted the ABC music show The Set. In 2022, Dylan was named Australian of the Year. He was also honored as an Officer of the Order of Australia.
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Dylan Alcott's Early Life
Dylan Alcott was born in Melbourne, Australia, on December 4, 1990. His parents are Martin and Resie. He has an older brother named Zack. When he was a baby, doctors found a tumor around his spinal cord. They removed it, but it meant Dylan needed to use a wheelchair.
Dylan went to Brighton Grammar School from year 6. He was very active in sports. He swam for Victoria. He also played wheelchair tennis and basketball for Australia. Dylan finished school in 2008. His first favorite sport was wheelchair tennis. By age 16, he was ranked among the top 100 players in the world. He was also 4th in the world for players under 18.
Dylan's Wheelchair Basketball Career
Dylan started playing wheelchair basketball when he was 14. He joined the Australian men's team, the Rollers, in 2006. They won a bronze medal at the Wheelchair Basketball World Championship. Dylan kept his spot on the team. He played for the Dandenong Rangers in the national league. He was even chosen for the all-star team in 2008. He was also named the Most Valuable Player at the Junior National Basketball Championships.
In 2008, Dylan helped the Rollers win a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Paralympics. He was only 17 years old. For this achievement, he received a special award called the Medal of the Order of Australia. Dylan said winning gold at 17 was the best feeling.
In 2009, Dylan went to the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He played for their wheelchair basketball team and won a college championship. After a year, he moved back to Melbourne. He wanted to train for the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London.
In 2010, Dylan and the Rollers won their first ever Wheelchair Basketball World Championship. This happened in Birmingham, England. Dylan was named one of the top five players in the tournament. At the 2012 Summer Paralympics, Dylan's team won a silver medal.
Dylan's Wheelchair Tennis Career
In 2014, Dylan decided to focus on wheelchair tennis again. He had been a top junior player at 16. In July 2014, he won his first major title. He beat the world number three, Andy Lapthorne, at the British Open. Earlier that year, he won the New Zealand Open. In January 2015, he won the Australian Open quad wheelchair title. This was his first Grand Slam title. By the end of 2015, he was ranked number 1 in the world. He had won eight titles that year.
At the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio, Dylan won two gold medals. He teamed up with Heath Davidson to win the Men's Quad Doubles. They beat the champions, David Wagner and Nick Taylor. The next day, Dylan won the Men's Quad Singles gold medal. He beat Andy Lapthorne again.
In 2018, Dylan won his first Wheelchair Tennis Masters title. This is a big tournament for the best players.
Achieving the Golden Slam in 2021
In 2021, Dylan Alcott made history. He became only the third tennis player ever to win a "calendar-year Golden Slam." This means he won all four major tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. He also won the singles gold medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics all in the same year. He was the first male player to do this. Another wheelchair tennis player, Diede de Groot, also achieved this in 2021. Before them, only Steffi Graf had done it in 1988.
After winning the Paralympics gold medal, Dylan said he would not play in the 2024 Summer Paralympics. In November 2021, he announced he would retire from professional tennis. His last tournament was the Australian Open in January 2022.
Life Beyond Sports
Dylan Alcott has also worked in television. He hosted Invictus Games Today. He also hosted the ABC live music show The Set. He even won a TV Week Logie award.
Dylan has a degree in Commerce from the University of Melbourne. He now works as a motivational speaker. He is also a radio host on Triple J. In his free time, Dylan loves going to music festivals. He is known for his "wheelchair crowdsurfing" at these events. In 2018, he started Ability Fest. This is a music festival designed for everyone. It has special paths for wheelchairs and quiet areas for people with sensory disabilities. It also has Auslan (Australian Sign Language) interpreters.
Dylan's advice to young people with a disability is inspiring. He says, "For every one thing you can't do, there are 10,000 others you can."
In 2017, Dylan started the Dylan Alcott Foundation. Its goal is to help young Australians with disabilities. It aims to help them feel good about themselves through sports and education. In September 2017, Dylan became an Australian Patron for International Day of People with Disability.
Dylan wrote an autobiography called Able: Gold Medals, Grand Slams and Smashing Glass Ceilings. It was published in 2018. He also recorded the audiobook himself. Dylan's partner is Chantelle Otten.
Awards and Recognition
Dylan Alcott has received many awards for his achievements:
- 2009 – Medal of the Order of Australia
- 2015 – Tennis Australia Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability
- 2016 – Governor's Award for Victorian Sportsperson of the Year
- 2016 – Australian Paralympian of the Year
- 2018 – International Tennis Federation Quad Wheelchair World Champion
- 2019 – Logie Awards – Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent
- 2022 – Australian of the Year
- 2022 – Officer of the Order of Australia for his great service to Paralympic sport and as a role model for people with disability.
See also
In Spanish: Dylan Alcott para niños
