Seventeen-year-old Japanese tennis player Oda Tokito has won the French Open men's wheelchair singles title, becoming the youngest winner of a Grand Slam tournament in the category.

Oda faced the world number-one-ranked Alfie Hewett of Britain in the men's final on Saturday. Oda beat Hewett 6-1, 6-4.

At the age of 17 years and one month, Oda is the youngest winner of a men's Grand Slam title since the competitions opened to professional players in 1968.

Currently ranked number two in the world, he will be placed at the top of the ranking following his victory, making him the youngest-ever men's wheelchair world No.1.

Oda said he hopes more people will enjoy watching wheelchair tennis, just like soccer and baseball. He said that really motivates him. Oda added that he wants wheelchair tennis to become a major sport and he will always do his best.

He is the second Japanese wheelchair tennis player to have won a Grand Slam title in the men's singles category after superstar Kunieda Shingo, who retired in January this year with a record 28 titles.

Kunieda has high expectations for Oda. He said Oda knows he will be overtaken unless he continues to make progress. Kunieda added that he wants Oda to bear that in mind and to keep fighting, and he wants to see how Oda will develop his tennis.

In the women's wheelchair competition, Kamiji Yui from Japan won the double's title with her partner Kgothatso Montjane of South Africa.

The pair beat Diede De Groot of the Netherlands and Maria Florencia Moreno of Argentina 6-2, 6-3 in the final.

But in the singles final, Kamiji, who is ranked number two in the world, lost to number-one-ranked De Groot.