Tennis
FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. — Hours before the women’s singles final at the U.S. Open on Saturday, Tokito Oda was chasing his own history.
Oda, 19, of Japan, was pursuing a career Golden Slam, a rare feat achieved by winning all four Grand Slam majors and a Paralympic gold medal.
His opponent in the U.S. Open men’s wheelchair singles final was Gustavo Fernandez, a 31-year-old from Argentina who had just paired up with Oda to win the tournament’s men’s wheelchair doubles title on Friday. They were back on the same court 24 hours later, squaring off for another championship in a scene that showed just how far the sport has come in its 20 years at the U.S. Open.
Each athlete had passionate supporters. For Oda, a group of fans clapped and cheered while wearing purple T-shirts bearing the name of a Japanese automotive company that sponsors him. Fernandez was similarly well represented by fans wearing Argentina’s colors, sky blue and white, who waved flags and chanted “Vamos!” and “Olé! Olé! Olé!” whenever he hit an extraordinary shot.
