FOR most British athletes, the London Olympic or Paralympic Games were the pinnacle of their sporting careers, but for wheelchair tennis star Andy Lapthorne it was the scene of his biggest regret.

Lapthorne, 23, claimed silver in the quad doubles final with Peter Norfolk and, despite doubles success at three Australian Opens, the French Open and a first Grand Slam singles title last month at the US Open, the pain of London still haunts the British athlete.

The World No.2, who was born with cerebral palsy, took up tennis in 2005 and has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the sport since making his debut in the quad division in 2008.

Alongside the recently retired Norfolk, Lapthorne won two Australian Open doubles titles and the French Open, but the memory of the 6-2 5-7 6-2 loss to Americans Nick Taylor and David Wagner consumes the Briton and fuels the fire on the road to Rio in 2016.

“I’ve got a lot of motivation after one of the most terrible experiences of my career in losing the Paralympic final in London,” said Lapthorne.

“It’s something that will live with me forever, and one of the biggest regrets of my life is not being able to get over the line in that final.

“To go to Rio and right that wrong is something that motivates me.”

The devastation of missing out on gold could have caused an athlete, who was then 21, to lose focus.

But Lapthorne used the heartache to motivate him on court and this has arguably been his greatest year to date, lifting his third Australian Open doubles title in January, alongside Wagner.

“To win my first grand slam [against Wagner] was just unbelievable,” he said. “To win somewhere as historic as Flushing Meadows is something I’ve always dreamed of.

“I’m only 23 and to win a grand slam at that age in wheelchair tennis is pretty much unheard of in singles.

“It helps me because, in big moments like the US Open when you have self-doubt and things don’t go your way, you do remind yourself what it felt like to be in a losing position in a big match.

“It gives you a little extra to pull the points out of the bag because I never want to be in a situation like that again.

“I never want to feel the pain of how I felt that day, so it’s definitely something that motivates me to go on and get these big results.”

The word legacy was born from the Games and, two years on, Lapthorne insists the success of the London Games has paved the way for both his progress and the growth of wheelchair tennis in the UK.

“We’ve got amazing facilities now that are being used to their full potential, to help athletes like myself on the road to Rio,” he said. “The legacy is definitely starting to pay off.

“We’ve also got our end-of-year Masters at the Olympic Park in November, which is sold out. It’s similar to the event at the 02 Arena for the able-bodied players and, without the Paralympics it wouldn’t be happening.”

Lapthorne, a fan of both West Ham United and Brentford, enjoys time away from the court supporting his beloved teams.

He is keen to highlight the support he receives from the clubs and recalls the special moment he paraded the US Open trophy at Griffin Park, home of Brentford.

“I’m a Brentford fan but a West Ham season ticket holder as my dad lives in East London,” he said.

“But I get to Brentford a lot. I know a lot of the players and everyone, from the fans to the chairman, have been a big help in my career and I can’t thank them enough.

“It’s everyone in the community around Ealing and Brentford. I’ve got so much support and I really appreciate it.

“To go on to the pitch at Griffin Park and pay a few people back with a trophy like that was something I had wanted to do for a long time.”

Andy’s journey is a mix of success and setback but, ultimately, he is a testament to how the greatest triumphs are sometimes bred out of despair.

His mind is now focused on gold in Rio and a chance to close a troubling chapter in his career.