For all his success, which includes a combined 30 Grand Slam titles in singles and doubles, Hewett knows the feeling of heartbreaking defeats and this will surely be among the toughest to take.

At the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, he and doubles partner Gordon Reid were left in tears when they were beaten in the doubles gold-medal match in a final-set tie-break.

Hewett got even closer here but Oda fought back to win the final four games, securing gold after two hours and 38 minutes with a series of winners as the Briton served to force another deciding tie-break.

Such an epic contest seemed unlikely as Hewett struggled badly in the first set. Immediately after the first game, he had to call for the physio and leave the court for treatment on a groin problem.

When he returned he could only manage to win five of 22 points on his own serve in the set as Oda dominated.

The momentum of the match seemed to shift for the first time in the fourth game of the second set, a 26-point epic in which Hewett saved a fifth break point with a magnificent winner around the net-post that had Oda applauding and the crowd on Chatrier roaring.

When Hewett finally held for 2-2, he leaned back in his chair and threw his arms into the air, just as he had in the moment of winning doubles gold alongside Reid on Friday.

He then got the decisive break at 4-4 while the roof was closing in anticipation of expected rain and quickly levelled the match.

Hewett and Oda exchanged breaks at the start of the decider with the Briton going in front again at 2-1 and maintaining his lead, until the missed match point deflated him and sparked his opponent back into life.