Wheelchair tennis at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris took place from August 30 to September 7 at Roland Garros Stadium. The tournament included singles and doubles events for men, women, and quad athletes.
Venue and Dates
The wheelchair tennis event was held at the Roland Garros Stadium, a venue that also hosts the French Open. The competitions spanned from August 30 to September 7, 2024.
Qualification
A National Paralympic Committee (NPC) could enter a maximum of eleven qualification slots:
- Four male and female athletes in the singles events.
- Three athletes in quads singles.
- Two men’s and women’s teams in the doubles events.
- One team in the quads doubles.
The qualification slots were given to individual athletes and not the NPC. To qualify, athletes needed an official ranking in the Wheelchair Tennis Singles World Ranking list and participation in a World Team Cup event for a minimum of two years between 2021 and 2024, with one of those years being either 2023 or 2024.
Events
Wheelchair tennis at the Paris 2024 Paralympics featured six medal events:
- Men’s singles
- Men’s doubles
- Women’s singles
- Women’s doubles
- Quad singles
- Quad doubles
Key Highlights
Several interesting stories and performances marked the event:
- Team Spain Wins Bronze: In the men’s doubles bronze medal match, Spain defeated France.
- Dutch Dominance: The Netherlands is considered a strong team in wheelchair tennis. Dutch players incorporate speed drills into their training.
- Yui Kamiji’s Gold: Japan’s Yui Kamiji defeated Diede de Groot to win her first women’s singles Paralympic title.
- Speed and Training: Players emphasize speed and agility. Drills and gym work are essential for improving on-court movement.
Rules and Divisions
Wheelchair tennis shares many similarities with standard tennis but has a few rule modifications:
- The ball can bounce twice before being returned; the first bounce must be within the court, but the second can be outside.
- When serving, players must be stationary but are allowed one push of the wheelchair before striking the ball.
- Matches are best-of-three sets with tie-breaks.
- The sport includes men’s, women’s, and quad divisions. The quad division is for athletes with impairments affecting three or more limbs.
