Wimbledon 2025: Past glories don't count for anything, says Alfie Hewett
Alfie Hewett insists past glories do not count for anything ahead of his dual Wimbledon title defence.
The Norfolk tennis star, 27, returns to SW19 off the back of victory at the LTA's Lexus British Open just two days ago, with the title the latest in a trophy cabinet fit to bursting.
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Hewett, a remarkable 33-time Grand Slam champion, captured Wimbledon singles and doubles glory last summer and returns to its fabled lawns as the undoubted star man of British wheelchair tennis.
But while his place in the pantheon amongst the game's greatest is secure after completing the calendar Grand Slam in 2024, Hewett believes names and past glories don't count for anything when the time comes to defend his Wimbledon crowns.
'I'm very excited,' said Hewett. 'This event comes around once a year and it's the pinnacle for British tennis and British players. 'This is what the last four weeks have been building up for and it's one where you make a statement and a name for yourself as a British player but Wimbledon is also an entirely different beast in itself.
'What you do in the lead-up to an event certainly plays a crucial role but I've also experienced preparations that have been really bad where I've been injured or unhappy and not been able to find a way.
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'That's the thing about tennis. From the moment you get on court, anything can happen and everything goes out the window.
'I've been here and at other tournaments where I've prepped 100% and felt this is my week and I've gone out and played utter rubbish so it's really about being adaptable and flexible on the day itself.
'You might wake up on the morning of the match and had a bad night's sleep or feel under the weather or something happened in your personal life and you have to be able to cope with those moments.'
Should he successfully defend his men's singles title, Hewett would become just the second player since the now-retired Stefan Olsson, in 2017 and 2018, to win back-to-back crowns in the discipline.
But the British star insists a pure love of the game is all the motivation he needs.
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'Motivation changes along the way,' added Hewett. 'In different stages of my career, I've experienced different reasonings for I get out of bed in the morning and put myself through the paces and hard yards and everything training entails.
'Right now, it's purely my love for the sport and wanting to be better.
'I don't feel like I'm chasing records or numbers at the moment. I've done that in the past and wanted to win something so badly you become obsessed with it.
'I wanted to find a healthier and natural way of motivating myself, which is all about the process. It's the career path I've chosen and I feel very fortunate and lucky to have this as my job and my work.
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'I don't really see it as work but it's a great lifestyle. It has its challenges but I love playing the sport and that's what gets me through every day.'
For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website.
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