Name: Diede de Groot
Country: Netherlands
Sport: Wheelchair Tennis
Previous Paralympic experience: Rio 2016, Tokyo 2021
Social Media: Instagram
Who is Diede de Groot
Diede de Groot? More like Diede de GOAT.
The Dutch wheelchair tennis superstar, a member of Team LGBTQ, has already cemented her claim as one of the greatest tennis players of all time before turning 30. Since entering her first ITF major tournament in 2017, de Groot showcased a developing level of dominance in both singles and doubles play unseen since that of fellow Dutch wheelchair tennis phenom Esther Vergeer.
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Since 2017, de Groot has won 23 singles major titles, 19 doubles major titles, 11 Wheelchair Tennis Masters titles across both disciplines, and eight World Team Cup championships. She became the first wheelchair tennis player to complete the non-calendar year Grand Slam in 2019, the first tennis player across all disciplines to complete the calendar year Super Slam (all Grand Slam majors, Masters and Paralympic gold) in 2021 and set another first in tennis history when she defended her Grand Slam in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Many of those wins coincide with a three-year undefeated streak from February 2021 to May 2024.
The top-ranked female wheelchair tennis player in the world earned the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability in April. She spoke to the inspirational power tennis had for her during her acceptance speech.
“It was only recently that wheelchair tennis gave me a different insight: that it was actually a very special journey,” de Groot said. “It gave me the chance to improve on myself everyday and inspire so many people throughout the whole world. This award is a motivator, but also a reminder that, with a smile on my face, I can do anything and so can all the little Diedes out there on their own journey.”
De Groot also participated in Nike’s “No Pride No Sport” campaign in 2023, spreading the message of LGBTQ inclusion in sport.
Diede de Groot at the Paris Summer Paralympics
The Dutch dynamo is a gold medal favorite in Paris. She’ll be looking for golden repeats in both singles and doubles play and recognizes that she is the woman to beat in the eyes of the field. But de Groot isn’t fazed by that fact, viewing the awaiting challenges as an overall good for the entire sport.
“Being the No. 1 player, gold is possible. But I also know more than I knew before that other players are willing to fight for it. That’s good,” de Groot said in an interview with the International Paralympic Committee. “I think it raises the level of wheelchair tennis. So many girls are fighting to win, which is very positive for wheelchair tennis. I will fight to win.”
One thing de Groot won’t carry into the Paris Games is her undefeated streak. Her streak came to an end in May at the hands of fellow Paralympian Li Xiaohui of China during the Team World Cup. That result holds a silver lining in de Groot’s eyes.
“It was such a strange moment because, in a way, for those three years that I was unbeaten, I always knew that on any day I could lose. I was very realistic about this,” she said. “I think going through that process got me back down to earth a little bit. I’m even more realistic.”
