Reid has one eye on his legacy but is not finished yet
Gordon Reid insists he is not finished with his playing career just yet – but already has eyes on what his tennis legacy could look like.
The 31-year-old Scot is determined to bring an international tournament to his home country and is spurred on by the local impact it could have on the game.
Alexandria-born Reid, fresh from back-to-back wheelchair doubles wins on grass at Queen’s, Wimbledon and Nottingham with partner Alfie Hewett, is firmly focused on the US Open next month.
But the prospect of a tournament closer to home, something that has never been done before in Scotland, is a highly motivating proposition for the former British No.1 away from the court.
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He said: “As an athlete, I want to say I’ve been able to do as much as possible to be the best because that’s what sport is about.
“One of my goals is to bring an international tournament to Scotland, that’s never happened before and that’s something that I’m working on at the moment so we’ll see what happens.
“I think it can be huge because those kind of events happening locally can have such a big impact.
“It’s never been done before so that’s one big thing for me within the next five years and hopefully I’ll make that happen.
“We’ve seen some good wins right across the board for British tennis this year, Wimbledon is the big one that everyone focuses on and it’s great to be a part of that.
“But it would be so good to have something up in Scotland to look forward to and serve the people who play the sport there.”
After winning his fifth Wimbledon wheelchair men’s doubles title last month, Reid was in attendance with Hewett at the Play Your Way to Wimbledon event, powered by Vodafone, the largest individual mass participation tennis competition in the UK.
The competition looks to inspire the next generation of tennis talent; allowing players to follow in the footsteps of their heroes and compete for a chance to play on Wimbledon’s iconic courts.
2023 saw the competition open up to more players, with three disability events split between Visual Impairment, Learning Disability and Wheelchair tennis categories, as well as an Adult Doubles pathway.
Reid added: “It’s a great event today with all the different categories that have got involved with the learning disability, visually impaired and wheelchair so we’re very proud to be here and support it.”
“Having the presence of all the disability categories can hopefully inspire them to continue playing into the future.
“We didn’t have those opportunities when we were coming through at this level so it’s a step in the right direction and hopefully it’s something that will happen more and more going forward.
“Historically tennis has been a sport that has had barriers and I think the LTA have done a great job with their various initiatives to break those down and include more people from different backgrounds.”
Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone, is the UK’s largest individual mass participation tennis competition that gives players an opportunity to follow in their heroes’ footsteps and compete at Wimbledon. The All England Club and LTA are proud to partner with Vodafone to expand the competition to more players in 2023 with an Adult Doubles pathway, alongside Visual Impairment, Learning Disability and Wheelchair tennis categories.