Wheelchair Tennis was invented in 1976 by Brad Parks, who had been experimenting with tennis as a recreational therapy after he was injured in a freestyle skiing competition. Since these humble beginnings, Wheelchair Tennis has grown at an amazing rate: now fully integrated into all four Grand Slam Tennis events, and with more than 150 tournaments on the ITF’s own Wheelchair Tennis Tour, it is more popular than ever.
The basics
The sport follows similar rules to Tennis, with one key exception: the ball is allowed to bounce twice, and only the first bounce must be within the boundaries of the court. All matches are played over the best of three sets.
At London 2012, the Wheelchair Tennis competition will consist of six medal events: men’s and women’s Singles; men’s and women’s Doubles; and quad Singles and Doubles, which are for players with a disability in three or more limbs. All events are played according to a knockout format.
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