Dylan Alcott wheels out of the tunnel and into Kia Arena, either talking to himself or bopping to an unheard beat. Cap backwards, signature Nike kicks, ready to roll. One match stands between him and the Australian Open final – his last before retirement – and he is serving first against Britain’s Andy Lapthorne.
“Good serve, Dyl,” he says to himself after the opening point when Lapthorne overcooks his return. Alcott has no problem telling anyone exactly how he is feeling. That includes his opponents, and a couple of games later, right before he breaks Lapthorne’s serve, he booms down the court “Good job, Dyl”. The celebrations only grow louder the closer he edges towards the 6-3, 6-0 victory. His penultimate wheelchair tennis match, period.
