Wheelchair tennis star De Groot wins 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open

Wheelchair tennis star Diede de Groot has drawn level with Esther Vergeer in the number of Grand Slam singles titles won. The 27-year-old De Groot won her 21st title at the Australian Open.

In the final in Melbourne, the number one seed De Groot was too strong for the number two seed Yui Kamiji from Japan, winning 7:5 6:4. The match in the Kia Arena, the fourth stadium in Melbourne Park, lasted one hour and 36 minutes.

Overall, De Groot won the Australian Open for the sixth time. She was the best player at Roland Garros four times, triumphed five times at Wimbledon, and also won the US Open six times. She has now won 13 Grand Slams in a row, setting a new record.

Minor injury

"The funny thing is that I wouldn't know if it wasn't for the media," De Groot said of her record on the tournament's website. "But because there's so much media, because there's social media, because there are so many other people seeing these records, it's impossible not to know. The records are all great. I think it shows that I'm doing very well. Even better than I had ever hoped."

Nevertheless, De Groot had a difficult time before the Australian Open. "The last few weeks weren't going quite my way, with a small injury, a cold, and a match point at the preparation tournament," said the world number one. "It all didn't go my way and I had to work really hard for it this week. I think that's what makes it so special."

Nine times

Esther Vergeer, now 42, won her titles between 2002 and 2012 when there was no singles tournament at Wimbledon. She was the best player at the Grand Slam tournament in Australia no fewer than nine times.