Playing Wheelchair Tennis is fun and healthy!
- Since its inception in 1976, wheelchair tennis has become one of the fastest growing and challenging sports. The recent interest generated by media exposure and propelled by the encouragement of this sport by top notch tennis players such as Martina Navratilova and Jim Courier, has made the public realize the potential this wheelchair sport has for the disabled. It provides opportunities to people with disabilities to participate in a competitive environment, to fully develop their physical and mental capabilities while at the same time providing recreation.
- The sport can be played on any regular tennis court, with no modification to rackets and balls. However, there are special wheelchairs designed for tennis players. These wheelchairs have wheels that are slanted outwards to provide speed and maneuverability on the tennis court. They are also more lightweight than traditional wheelchairs. While able-bodied tennis players have to work on both upper body and lower body strength, tennis players in wheelchairs have to have a high degree of upper body strength complemented by good coordination of both the hands. A wheel chair player has to move around quickly using one hand to move the chair and the second hand to hit the tennis ball with their raquet. This requires a certain degree of training, but where there is determination and persistence, obstacles just melt away!
- In playing tennis from a wheelchair, the rules of the game are the same as those of traditional tennis. The only difference in the regulations is that players are allowed two bounces of the ball —- the first bounce has to be within the bounds of the court. The player must return the ball before it hits the ground a third time. The rules are similarly modified when a player on a wheeled chair faces an able bodied player. In this case the able bodied player has to hit the ball after once bounce.
- Tennis is a demanding game and to make a successful player, high levels of fitness and skill are required. These tennis skills MUST be complemented with a good strategy.
- Happy Tennis Playing!