He wheelchair tennis in the Paralympic Games of Paris 2024 has aroused great curiosity. invented in 1976when former freestyle skier Brad Parks, who became paraplegic after a sports accident, met disabled athlete Jeff Minnebraker and together they worked to take their new specialty to professional levels. Due to its growing popularity, wheelchair tennis entered the Paralympic Games from 1992, in the Barcelona editionand today it is also played in all Grand Slam tournaments and in other dedicated competitions, such as the ITF Wheelchair Tennis TourIn Paris 2024, the venue will be the historic and prestigious Roland Garros.
Who is participating?
Athletes with: paraplegia, tetraplegia y equivalent conditions, or those with lower limb prosthesis and equivalents, physical disabilities that limit movement. All athletes compete in wheelchairs.
Visit to the wheelchair tennis facilities.
Rackets and balls
Wheelchair tennis follows the same rules as traditional tennisso the court, net, rackets and balls have the same dimensions and functions. The only crucial exception is that, in wheelchair tennis, the ball can bounce twice before the player hits it again, and this second bounce can also take place off the court. In some cases, athletes may be assisted in the moment of serviceallowing another person to bounce the ball for them.
Wheelchair tennis categories
Athletes are divided into two categories: the clase Open It is for people who have disabilities that affect only their lower limbs, but who have normal arm function; clase Quadwhich was introduced more recently, also covers those who have limitations also in the arm used in the game, and therefore have a reduced ability to maneuver the racket and wheelchair.
Article originally published in WIRED ItaliaAdapted by Mauricio Serfatty Godoy.
