September was a month of firsts, including my first singles title in two years, my first doubles final at 500 level and my first 175 singles final.

The month began in College Park, USA. Despite losing in the first round of singles, I reached the doubles final alongside Conner Stroud (USA), beating the number 2 seeds in the semi-finals. It was another win against a pair of Grand Slam direct acceptances, which further boosted my confidence that I can compete with the best players in the world.

Unfortunately, with the US Open coming up, where Conner was due to compete, we had to give a walkover in the final. That said, it doesn't take away from what we achieved that week.

From College Park, I headed to Toronto, Canada, in search of my first singles title in two years. With no players ranked inside the top 20, it was a great opportunity to finally get that title.

Coming in as the number 2 seed, I made a strong start, winning my opening match 6-0 6-0, including a golden set in the second (winning every point in a set). After rain forced play indoors on day two, both the singles quarter-finals and semi-finals were rescheduled for day three, alongside the doubles semi-finals.

I progressed through two strong singles matches, winning 6-3 6-4 and 6-4 6-0, although I fell short in the doubles semi-finals. In the singles final, I saved a set point in the first-set tiebreak before going on to win 7-6(7) 7-5 claiming my first singles title in two years.

The final competition of a busy September took me to Île de Ré, France, for a 175 event. Coming in as the number 1 seed in singles and number 2 seed in doubles, it was set to be a long week.

I won my opening singles match 6-4 6-4, followed by a 6-2 6-3 win in the quarter-finals. In doubles, once again alongside Conner Stroud, we opened with a 6-4 6-2 win before battling through a tight semi-final 6-3 5-7 10-6.

Having been largely in control of the match, I went for a ball on a key point in the second set and tipped out of my chair. My face, elbow and knee all needed treatment, and the unwanted delay made it difficult to get back into our rhythm. We ended up dropping our first set as a pair since July, but came back strongly to win the match tiebreak convincingly.

That incident became particularly important ahead of the singles semi-final the following day. I woke up with significant discomfort throughout my upper body and wasn't sure how well I'd be able to compete.

The gusty conditions made things even harder, and I got battered 0-6 in the opening set. Before long, I found myself a set and 0-2 down.

But it's not over until it's over. I tried to find anything I could to get myself back into the match. Winning the next game to make it 1-2 was the start of a shift in momentum. The adrenaline kicked in, and I began to battle through the discomfort.

Having felt almost completely out of the match, I suddenly found myself 5-2 up in the second set, and I converted it at my second opportunity to take the set 6-3.

The third set started in much the same way as the first two, quickly going down 0-2 again. But drawing on the confidence I'd built during the previous set, I battled back once more to lead 5-2 and serve for the match. After failing to convert my first match points, I eventually closed it out 0-6 6-3 6-3.

It was one of those matches where you come off court wondering how on earth you managed to win. But within moments, the focus shifts to preparing for the next match.

The physical discomfort continued into the doubles final, but after a closely contested match, we came through 6-4 6-3. It was my second 175 doubles title of 2026 and my fifth overall title of the year.

Despite feeling optimistic ahead of the singles final, the physical struggles continued. The tightness in my arm and lack of feel in my shots left me always behind in the opening set. The second set started in a similar fashion, quickly finding myself 0-3 down.

I gave it everything I had, and despite fighting back from 2-5 to 5-5, the match slipped away. It was too little, too late, losing out 2-6 5-7.

Congratulations Conner for winning your first 175 singles title.

4 competitions

18 matches

76 hours on court

10 rackets strung

5,351 miles flown

#18 singles ranking

#19 doubles ranking

At the start of every year, I write down the goals I want to achieve, both on and off the court. It gives me something to work towards while breaking down greater ambitions into targets that feel attainable.

With my singles title in Canada, I've now ticked off all of my original on-court goals for 2026.

Here's what I set out to achieve:

That doesn't mean I'm complacent with where I’m at. There are still three full months of the year left, but it's a great feeling to have already achieved everything I set out to do at the start of the season.

My next goals are to qualify for the Australian Open in January, secure a win against a top 10 player, and break into the top 14 in the rankings.

One of the biggest fears for wheelchair users when flying is having their wheelchair damaged. As a wheelchair athlete, I regularly travel with both a sports wheelchair and a day chair. If either gets damaged during travel, it can make competing impossible, effectively wasting the trip and all the money and preparation that went into it.

Wheelchairs are expensive, highly customised pieces of equipment. Unlike clothing, they're not something you can simply go out and replace if something goes wrong.

During my journey from Washington to Toronto, my wheelchair travel case was severely squashed at one end. Fortunately, I use a protective case to reduce the risk of damage to my sports wheelchair, and I dread to think what could have happened without it.

The damage was still significant, with the poles completely bent and the fabric torn in several places. The issue was caused by too many bags for the size of the aircraft, meaning luggage had to be squeezed in to accommodate everyone's belongings.

While nobody wants their bags left behind, if the alternative is damaging someone's wheelchair, that's simply not acceptable.

Thankfully, the airline accepted responsibility, and we're in the process of getting the case replaced. In the meantime, though, I still have to continue traveling with a case which offers minimal protection, increasing the risk of damage to my wheelchair.

Everyone has their own item they can't live without. Some are more practical than others, and for me, it's my Apple AirPods Pro.

It might seem like a fairly basic choice, but with all the travelling I do, having noise-cancelling headphones is essential. They're a great way to pass the time, switch off and get some rest, even in noisy environments.

They're also small and compact enough to keep in my wheelchair at all times, which means I always have them whenever I need them.

I use them in the gym to help me get through sessions, they help me get in the zone before matches, and they allow me to switch off after my match.

The seamless connectivity and automatic switching between devices within the Apple ecosystem is a huge bonus. Being able to seamlessly move between the devices I'm using without having to manually reconnect my headphones is a big part of why I prefer them over other earbuds.

This week, I’ve been competing at the French Riviera Open 1000.

Next week, I have a training week to give my body time to regain full fitness ahead of the final few events of the year. After that, I’ll head back to France for the Open Du Loiret 500, followed by the Fucherolles 100.

The next few weeks will be crucial for determining who qualifies for the Australian Open. I currently sit at World No. 18, realistically one place outside the ranking needed for a qualifying wildcard. However, performances are also taken into consideration, and one good week could be enough to change that.

THE FOCUS

Continuing to improve my game management and confidence within matches.

I can play the way I want to play for spells during matches, but I want this to become more consistent and to be able to perform at 100% from the first point.

Playing a loose first set only makes the challenge of winning even more difficult, so I want to be able to take control of my matches from the first point.

THE GOAL

Qualify for the Australian Open.

I fully intend to go to Australia in January to compete, regardless of whether I make the qualifying draw.

Making the qualifying draw gives me the opportunity to fight for a place in the main draw, while also making me eligible for the AO travel grant, which fully covers the cost of travel to the region and helps make the swing more affordable.

THE TAKEAWAY

A tennis match is not over until the last point is played.

Giving up is a losing mentality. Momentum can shift very quickly in tennis, and continuing to ask questions of your opponent right until the end gives you every possible chance of coming back.

I never want to come off court after a match feeling like I could’ve given more. I want to leave the court knowing I have no regrets.

Some things go to plan. Some don’t. Sometimes you have to come up with solutions on the spot.

Regardless, being able to learn from mistakes is the key to future success.

On to the next one.

Andrew