Diede de Groot says she still has room for improvement after winning her sixth Australian Open women’s wheelchair singles title.
World number one de Groot defeated second-seeded Yui Kamiji of Japan in Saturday’s final 7-5, 6-4.
The victory gave de Groot a record-equalling 21st major singles championship, moving her level with fellow Dutch great Esther Vergeer.
It also stretched her winning streak to 135 consecutive matches.
De Groot has now won a record 13 straight major singles finals but the 27-year-old believes she can still get better.
She says she struggled with her serve against Kamiji, who had previously won the Australian Open in 2017 and 2020.
“I can still improve so much more than I already am doing now,” de Groot said.
“So finding those little details at the moment is, I think, a very fun process.”
De Groot said her win gave her tremendous satisfaction after she endured a disrupted preparation.
Injury and illness threatened to derail her campaign, while her unbeaten streak almost came to an end before the tournament when she faced a match point against Kamiji at last week’s Melbourne Wheelchair Open.
“The last couple of weeks have not been going all my way with a little injury and a cold, a match point down in the preparation tournament,” de Groot said.
“So it hasn’t all been just going fine. I had to work for it very hard this week. I think that’s what makes this really special.”
De Groot’s domination of women’s wheelchair singles is reflected in the lengthy list of achievements she has tallied during her outstanding career.
Aside from her success at Melbourne Park, she has won multiple US and French Opens, six and four respectively, as well as five Wimbledon titles.
De Groot has claimed three calendar Grand Slams, including the Golden Slam in 2021 when she also triumphed at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Her singles victory in Melbourne adds to the 18th doubles major she won on Friday, when she teamed up with countrywoman Jiske Griffioen to beat top seeds Kamiji and Kgothatso Montjane.
“Looking back at all of the records, I’m proud of myself,” she said.
“I think it shows me that I’m doing better than I maybe even hoped I would ever do.”
The Netherlands enjoyed another victory on Saturday, with Sam Schröder defeating Israel’s Guy Sasson 6-3, 6-3 in the quad wheelchair singles final.