About Wheelchair Tennis
Wheelchair tennis celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2011 as an organised sport. Since its inception in the United States in 1976, it has become one of the fastest growing wheelchair sports in the world.
It has been a Paralympic sport since 1992, the same year in which an international wheelchair tennis tour was conceived that now boasts over 170 tournaments across 46 countries.
The only rule change from the able-bodied game is that the ball is allowed to bounce twice, as long as the first bounce is within the confines of the court. To take a look at the full ITF rules click here.
The Tennis Foundation runs the Wheelchair Tennis Performance programme for British players with support from UK Sport.
Eligibility
Any individual who is medically diagnosed as having a permanent mobility-related disability resulting in a substantial or total loss of function in one or more lower extremities is eligible to play wheelchair tennis.
There is an additional quad division where those with a permanent disability in three or more limbs can play and this is a mixed category for male and female.
Full eligibility rules can be found on the ITF Wheelchair tennis website. To take at look at these click here
Get Involved
One of the best sources of information if you want to play tennis is the Tennis Foundation, Great Britain’s leading tennis charity. Its vision is to ensure the sport is inclusive and accessible to every kind of community, and it provides information on the sport for both disabled and non-disabled players.
The Tennis Foundation delivers a full programme of activities for people with disabilities, including taster sessions, one-day clinics and camps for people of all ages and abilities. In addition, they run a full range of tournaments, which provide competitive playing opportunities at local, national and international level.
There are an increasing number of places available throughout the country which offer regular wheelchair tennis programmes and sessions with Lawn Tennis Association (LTA)-licensed tennis coaches. Some also have purpose-built tennis wheelchairs, provided by the Tennis Foundation to get you started.
Contact the Tennis Foundation via email for more information or visit their website, which is packed full of case studies and information on how to get into the sport.
Another great way to get into the game is through the LTA’s allplay scheme, which helps you find courts and potential playing partners in your area - visit the allplay website to find out more.
The Tennis Foundation
National Tennis Centre
100 Priory Lane
Roehampton
London
SW15 5JQ
www.tennisfoundation.org.uk
