Wheelchair Tennis
As the days get longer, summer approaches and sporting activity resumes, there is no better sport for young physically disabled people to enjoy with friends and family than wheelchair tennis. Tennis can be easily adapted for players with different impairments at any level, making it a perfect way to help disabled people get active.
As two-time Paralympic bronze medallist Lucy Shuker says in support of the LTA’s recently launched Youth Schools programme “I would love to see as many children as possible learn how to play tennis. You learn so many skills through tennis - hand eye co-ordination, team work and your fitness."
What are the rules?
Wheelchair tennis’s only major rule change is that the ball can bounce twice, which means that integrating it into school or local tennis club activities or out on park tennis courts is easy, with wheelchair players having two bounces and non-disabled friends or family members having one bounce.
The LTA continues to emphasise its commitment to helping disabled people get active and play tennis through its Open Court programme. With tennis leading the return of disability sporting activity as lockdown restrictions have eased, the LTA are equipping more Open Court tennis venues with adaptive equipment to enable people to give the sport a go, including wheelchairs to help movement around the court. But if you’re new to wheelchair tennis there’s nothing stopping you from getting out there and giving it a go in your own day chair.
How good are Britain’s players?
“Looking back five years ago when I first started playing I would not, in a million years, have thought I’d be where I am now.”
Great Britain has a long history of producing some of the world’s best wheelchair tennis players. Gordon Reid is the reigning Paralympic champion and will be hoping to strike gold again in Tokyo this summer.
Gordon is a former world No.1 junior and 2021 started with 15-year-old Ben Bartam becoming the latest Brit to top the junior world rankings. Meanwhile, in 2020, 15-year-old world No.4 Dahnon Ward was named Junior Wheelchair Tennis Player of the Year by the International Tennis Federation.
British players are also flying high in the junior girls’ wheelchair tennis rankings too with Abbie Breakwell currently ranked No.5 and Ruby Bishop ranked No.8.
Between them, current star names such as Gordon Reid, Alfie Hewett, Jordanne Whiley and Andy Lapthorne have won over 40 Grand Slam titles in singles and doubles.
LTA Wheelchair Team Battle
Watch some of Britain’s leading junior players such as Ben Bartram, Dahnon Ward and Abbie Breakwell compete alongside Grand Slam and Paralympic medallists such as Gordon Reid, Alfie Hewett, Jordanne Whiley and Lucy Shuker.
PLAY WHEELCHAIR TENNIS
If you want to find a court or coaching near you visit www.lta.org.uk.
For specific questions about wheelchair tennis venues or coaching email disabilitytennis@lta.org.uk and visit
https://www.lta.org.uk/play-compete/getting-started/disability-tennis/junior-disability-tennis/.
The LTA also coordinates a calendar of disability-specific tennis competitions both regionally and nationally across Britain, providing the chance for anyone to compete at an appropriate level for them, whether they are a novice or a seasoned player. For upcoming competition dates and details visit:
https://www.lta.org.uk/play-compete/competing/disability-competitions-calendar/.
Inclusive Tennis At Home - https://www.lta.org.uk/tennis-at-home-hub/inclusive-tennis-at-home/
