Dylan Alcott Plays Hard On And Off The Court And The Accolades Keep On Coming

Triple gold medallist paralympian Dylan Alcott has come a long way since crowd-surfing in his wheelchair at the 2014 Meredith Music Festival and stage rapping on Protect Ya Neck with Ghostface Killah and the Wu-Tang Clan.

After defending his Australian Open title in January and going on to win gold in both singles and doubles (with childhood friend Heath Davidson) at the Rio Olympics, the affable world No.1 tennis player in the quad class has this week again been nominated for the Newcombe Medal.

Alcott, 25, has already snared the GQ Sportsman of the Year, the 2016 Paralympian of the Year (getting his face on a stamp in the process) and earned a nomination for the 2016 Don Award by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

This time around, he looks to be the raging favourite for Australia's most prestigious tennis award and he said on Tuesday that it was "a massive honour to be nominated for the Newk a second year running".

Dylan Alcott OAM – he received an Order of Australia Medal in 2011 – was also a member of the Australian "Rollers" wheelchair basketball team and a critical part of their gold medal run at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. He was just 17-years-old at the time, making him the youngest gold medal winner in wheelchair basketball – in fact, the youngest to even compete.

But it's his achievements on the tennis court where he's made the most impact. When you consider he only took up the sport a few years ago, his efforts are nothing short of remarkable. "I just did it to get a bit of a tan and get a bit fitter," he grinned after winning his first Australian Open in 2015.

He went on that day to describe his "money shot" – the backhand which has kept his opponents at bay during his climb to the top echelon of the game.

"I get a bit of rip on it, don't I?" he laughed before turning to those packed in to see the final at Melbourne Park and suggesting they "all go and grab some beers".

You see, while his profile has skyrocketed, the man remains the same – just a good-natured, fun-loving, down-to-earth human being. Whether it's crowd-surfing at music festivals, watching his beloved Carlton play in the AFL, winning tennis matches or having awards bestowed upon him, Dylan Alcott will always remain true to himself, enjoying every moment of his existence to the fullest.

The seventh edition of the Newcombe Medal will take place on November 28, with other finalists alongside Alcott including Daria Gavrilova, John Millman, John Peers, Sam Stosur and Jordan Thompson.

[Follow David on twitter.](Dylan Alcott plays hard on and off the court and the accolades keep coming)