WHEELCHAIRS AND WIMBLEDON: With its origins dating back to 1877, Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world yet the wheelchair doubles is a relatively new concept. The Australian Open became the first Grand Slam to introduce wheelchair tennis in 2002, followed by Wimbledon and the US Open in 2005 and Roland Garros in 2007. In 2009, the ladies’ wheelchair doubles joined the gentleman’s doubles on the official competition schedule here. On Sunday the All England Club announced it is to introduce a men’s and women’s singles wheelchair event at the Championships from 2016, bringing it in line with the other Grand Slams.
SW19 RULES: Wheelchair players are permitted two bounces of the ball. The first bounce has to be within the court markings although the second bounce can be outside. The competitors play the best of three tie-break sets.
TURF WAR: Wimbledon is the only grass-court tournament on the Uniqlo Wheelchair Tennis Tour, which consists of more than 160 tournaments in over 40 countries. Total prize money for the tour is around $1.5 million. The surface is the most challenging for a competitor to play on as the texture of the lawn prevents the wheels from rotating quickly, hindering push off.
WHEELCHAIR DRAW: Unlike the Main Draw ladies’ and gentleman’s doubles events, which consist of seven rounds, the wheelchair competition comprises two – a first round and a final. There is also a third and fourth place play off. Only four partnerships can qualify for Wimbledon due to logistical restrictions. The top three pairings are decided on combined rankings and there is one wild card pair in each event. For the singles events at Grand Slams the top seven qualify on rankings and there is one wild card to complete a field of eight.
WIMBLEDON 2015 FINALISTS: Defending ladies’ doubles champions Japan’s Yui Kamiji and Britain’s Jordanne Whiley, who completed the calendar year Grand Slam in 2014, will meet Dutch duo Netherland’s Jiske Griffioen and Aniek Van Koot in Sunday’s final.
In the men’s event, World No.3 and 2012 Paralympian Gordon Reid moved a step closer to a second successive Grand Slam title when he partnered Frenchman Michael Jeremiasz to overcome 17-year-old compatriot and Grand Slam debutant Alfie Hewett and Joachim Gerard of Belgium 7-6(9), 3-6, 7-6(4). The men now face Gustavo Fernandez and Nicolas Peifer, who ousted top seeds Stephane Houdet and Shingo Kunieda 6-3, 7-5, in the semi-finals.
PRIZE MONEY: The wheelchair champions take home £15,000 per pair, while the runners-up pocket £7,750. The winners of the main draw doubles event earn £340,000 per pair and the runners-up £170,000.
PARALYMPIC SPORT: Wheelchair tennis was first made a Paralympic sport at the Barcelona Games in 1992 after being a demonstration sport in Seoul in 1988. At the 2012 London Games men's singles event, Shingo Kunieda of Japan took home gold, France’s Stephane Houdet scooped silver and Ronald Vink of the Netherlands claimed bronze. The Netherlands took home gold, silver and bronze in the women's singles event. According to Holly Hamilton of the Tennis Foundation, a charity which looks after tennis and education in disabled and disadvantaged communities, approximately 50 people per week played wheelchair tennis in 2011, a figure which has since risen to 500 per week on the back of the Paralympics.
MUSEUM MUST-HAVE: The Wimbledon museum this year contacted British top seed Jordanne Whiley MBE to ask if she would mind donating her 2015 finals day
tennis outfit for display. Whiley tweeted her joy at the request alongside the hashtag #honoured.
EQUIPMENT COSTS: A bespoke performance chair costs in the region of £3,000 but cheaper chairs can be sourced for club players. The Tennis Foundation donates chairs to clubs around the UK and other charities that provide financial assistance for new players include the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust and WheelPower.
TENNIS AMBASSADORS: Jonas Bjorkman, Sven Groeneveld, Tommy Robredo, David Hall, Monique Kalkman and Brad Parks are wheelchair tennis ambassadors. The panel is a combination of former wheelchair tennis players and high profile tennis personalities.
