Latest news with #AndyLapthorne
BBC News
13-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Wheelchair tennis star Andy Lapthorne appointed MBE
A Paralympian who has won 17 Grand Slam wheelchair tennis titles has been honoured in the King's Birthday Honours. Andy Lapthorne, from Maidenhead, told BBC Radio Berkshire it was "a massive shock" to be appointed an MBE for services to who has won three silver medals and a bronze at the Paralympics, said he hoped his achievement would show others that "anything's possible". "Tennis is known as a sport that is for more of the upper classes... and I'm someone from a working class background," he said. "I'm hoping that this will inspire people from similar backgrounds to me to pick up tennis," the 34-year-old said. In 2024 he played in front of a full crowd at the Paralympics in Paris, something he said showed "how far the sport has come"."I'm travelling the world, playing tournaments, being able to earn a living from a disability sport," he said."I'm hoping that I've left the sport in a better place than when I found it when I do finally [retire]." Also honoured was Prof Andrew Charlton-Perez, a meteorology professor at the University of Reading, who has been appointed an OBE for his services to climate science and professor said he felt the honour was recognising all of his colleagues' work as well as his own."To be recognised in this amazing place with so many different colleagues who do wonderful things... it feels unreal," he said."All of the work that we've done on climate education in particular has been done with huge teams of people... it really feels like it's recognising all of those contributions, all of those positive things that we're doing together." Another on the list was Peter Francis, chief of staff at the Maidenhead-based Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which maintains the graves of those who died in both World Francis, who was appointed OBE for his services to global commemoration, said getting the "official-looking letter" was "a massive surprise"."My initial reaction was 'is it a tax return?' or something like that," he said."It feels very, very strange but very, very humbling and I'm deeply honoured."He said it was a reflection on the work the Commission did as a whole."It's very difficult to put a price on the commemoration of those who served," he said."We owe them a debt of thanks that we can never truly repay and the work that I do, and my colleagues do... just goes some small way to saying thank you." Also recognised was Estelle Bailey, the chief executive of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxford Wildlife Trust (BBOWT), who was appointed MBE for her services to nature's Bailey started at the trust as a volunteer 27 years ago."It's been the most incredible journey, having loved nature as a child and been so connected to it, but also in that time watching its decline and worrying about the future and wondering what I could do to help," she said."It's been a journey of love and a journey of passion - and that will never leave me."She said receiving the letter saying she was being awarded an MBE "took my breath away"."I'm so, so delighted," she said."Charitable life is really hard... it's not well paid and you have to fight really hard to get money to do work."It was just that moment of recognition for me that was just really, super special." You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Hewett and Reid into sixth-straight French Open final
British pair Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett reached the final of the French Open men's wheelchair doubles for the sixth straight top seeds beat Casey Ratzlaff of the USA and Japan's Takuya Miki 6-2 6-3 amid increasingly heavy rain at Roland ace from Reid sealed victory in Paris on the pair's second match will play either Tokito Oda of Japan and France's Stephane Houdet or the duo of Spaniard Daniel Caverzaschi and Argentine Gustavo Fernandez in the Reid and Engand's Hewett have won the past five titles at Roland claimed victory in an hour and 14 minutes amid a sea of umbrellas on court 12, with all the other outdoor courts being covered to protect against the rain. Following a first set which saw six breaks of serve - four of them by the British team - the second was much more straightforward for the perennial champions, in spite of the capped a slightly odd day for Reid and Hewett, which they started as opponents in the singles the second seed, triumphed 6-2 6-4. He will play fourth seed Fernandez in the singles Britain's Andy Lapthorne suffered double elimination in men's quad wheelchair events on Englishman's day started with a 6-4 6-4 defeat in the singles semi-final to top seed Niels Vink of the then suffered another last-four loss in the doubles as, along with Dutch partner Sam Schroder, he was beaten in the match tie-break by Ahmet Kaplan of Turkey and South Africa's Donald Ramphadi, losing 6-3 2-6 and Schroder, the second seeds, fought back from losing the first set by winning the second in 35 minutes, and were ahead in the first-to-10 shootout decider before suffering defeat against their unseeded opponents.
BBC News
04-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Reid & Hewett begin French Open defence with win
French Open 2025Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland GarrosCoverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app British wheelchair doubles pair Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid progressed to the semi-finals of the French Open as they began their pursuit of a sixth consecutive title at Roland duo beat Chile's Alexander Cataldo and Israel's Sergei Lysov 6-1 4-6 [10-4].Meanwhile, fellow Briton Andy Lapthorne beat Canada's Robert Shaw 7-5 7-5 in the men's quad wheelchair 34, has never won a singles title on the French clay, with his most recent Grand Slam final coming in Paris in will face Dutch top seed Niels Vink in the last seeds Hewett and Reid are scheduled to face each other in the semi-finals of the singles draw after they began their campaigns with dominant has won the French major three times, most recently in 2021, while Reid is a two-time pair are five-time defending doubles champions in Paris and will face Japan's Takuya Miki and American Casey Ratzlaff in the semis.
