Alfie Hewett may have to hang up his racket for good at the end of 2021, but the wheelchair tennis star is making hay while he still can. 

New classification revisions are due to be introduced by the International Tennis Federation at the end of this year, having been approved by the International Paralympic Committee. 

Those would see Hewett’s disability, a rare hip abnormality known as Perthes Disease, no longer fit the criteria and fall outside the regulations. 

The new rules had been due to come into force at the end of 2020 but were pushed back a year after the postponement of the Paralympics. 

And 23-year-old Hewett, retains some hope that there is a small shred of light at the end of the tunnel. 

He explained: “There have been some developments. I know the ITF have been conducting some independent research on the criteria. Previously the criteria were based around para-athletics and not specific to wheelchair tennis. I know they have been going through quite a vigorous process recently and potentially trying to change the criteria so it is more tennis-specific with evidence from scientists, physios, and doctors. 

“What happens afterwards, I’m not sure now. But there is a small bit of hope, so I just have to pray it gets overturned.” 

In the meantime, Hewett has been in outstanding form, retaining both his singles and doubles titles, the latter alongside Gordon Reid, at Roland Garros last week. 

It is a remarkable feat considering everything that is going on behind the scenes, and Hewett admits it has not always been easy. 

“There’s lots of ways of managing it,” said Hewett, who is one of over 1,000 athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme.  

“I’ve gone through different processes in the last 18 months. Sometimes I have shown my emotion and been quite invested with it being the last one, being in the changing rooms afterwards crying and feeling the effects of it and using it as motivation.  

“Sometimes, like the recent one in Roland Garros, I have gone into it knowing there were things going on in the background and had trust in the process and that it will get changed, so I don’t really focus on it. When it comes to the tennis match and the first serve, there is nothing else I am thinking about other than that first serve. That is what gets me through it. It is what you do away from the court that it is affecting.  

“When you get to the end of a week and you have to do one more fitness test and you ask if you have to do it, you think it could be the last time you do it, so you use that drive in a good way.” 

Hewett will now turn his attention to Wimbledon, where he hopes an improved serve will help him claim a maiden singles title, before heading to Tokyo for his second Paralympics. 

He added: “It’s something from the moment you come away from the previous Games, you are always striving for the next one. I probably did not enjoy it as much at the time because I was so disappointed with only getting silvers. This year I am setting myself higher expectations, which is to go and get some golds.” 

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