Two of Australia's leading deaf and hard of hearing athletes enjoyed a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" at Roland Garros 2024.
Glen Flindell and Isabel Cairns represented Australia in an exhibition series against a French team in Paris yesterday.
"It was a really great experience," said Cairns, who secured a singles victory without conceding a game.
The 13-year-old from Melbourne relished the opportunity to don the green and gold on a Grand Slam stage.
"I was really excited because I watch all the pros play here and now I get to play here, which is really amazing," she said.
"I've played a lot of clay, but this was probably the best clay I've played on."
Flindell, a 44-year-old from Melbourne, agreed it was a special experience.
"It's something I'll never forget," Flindell said.
"We got to pretend to be a professional player for one or two days."
The exhibition series was decided in a mixed doubles rubber, with Cairns and Flindell combining to score a 6-1 6-2 victory against their French compatriots.
> LEARN MORE: Deaf and hard of hearing playing pathways in Australia
Aussies in action - Roland Garros
Deaf and Hard of Hearing exhibition series
AUSTRALIA d FRANCE 2-1
Men's singles: Olivier Grave (FRA) d Glen Flindell (AUS) 6-0 6-3
Women's singles: Isabel Cairns (AUS) d Caroline Vidal (FRA) 6-0 6-0
Mixed doubles: Isabel Cairns/Glen Flindell (AUS) d Jessica Gagnant/Mikael Laurent (FRA) 6-1 6-2
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