Japanese wheelchair tennis legend Shingo Kunieda is back on top of world, winning at the Tokyo Paralympics to earn his third singles gold.
He defeated Dutchman Tom Egberink 6-1, 6-2 in the final on Saturday night after sweeping through his previous four matches without dropping a set.
A jubilant Kunieda lifted his hands to his face when he clinched the victory.
"This is so unbelievable," he exclaimed after the triumph.
Kunieda, who has won numerous Grand Slam tournaments, was in tears. And the crying did not stop.
Kunieda's serve was broken in the first game of the match, but he showed zero concern. He took the next six games to win the set 6-1.
"My backhand was working well," said Kunieda, who cruised through the rest of the match without issues.
Kunieda, who collected two singles gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Games and the 2012 London Games, missed out on a medal at the previous Rio de Janeiro Paralympics in 2016, losing in the quarterfinals partly because of the effects of right elbow surgery.
After the loss at Rio, he thought it was time to "change everything." Kunieda adjusted his swing, switched rackets and modified his wheelchair, among some of the changes.
As a result, he won the Australian Open and the French Open in 2018 and regained prominence as one of the elite players.
One of the reasons for his success is that even at 37, Kunieda is still not afraid to make adjustments. For instance, he has worked on his backhand to help him handle young overseas players who rely on their power.
"I work to change things whenever I lose," Kunieda said. "Taking rather difficult routs, I always seek to find my own answers."
Ahead of his matches at the Tokyo Games, he repeatedly told himself, "I am the best."
That is one aspect of his unique way of training the mental side, he said, while also admitting, "I felt a lot of pressure."
Kunieda did not win a Grand Slam title this year. There were nights he could not sleep, and he was feeling unsettled.
Then he was appointed Japan's captain ahead of the Games. He worked hard right up to the last minute with his coach to sharpen his game. Kunieda subsequently stormed through all five of his matches.
"I have worked in the past five years toward winning gold," Kunieda said.
The effort bore fruit in the form of a Paralympics title.
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