More Than 100 Athletes To Compete in Wheelchair tennis from 31 nations in Tokyo Paralympics

By Witherspoon
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Updated: August 10, 2021

Dylan Alcott of Australia in action during his Quad Wheelchair singles final against Sam Schroder of the Netherlands at the Australian Open. EPA-EFE/DEAN LEWINS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

The ITF announced the full singles and doubles entry lists for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Tennis Event.

The tournament will take place at the Ariake Tennis Park from Friday, August 27th until Saturday, September 4th. Six gold medals are available in the men’s, women’s and quad categories. A total of 31 nations are represented at the Paralympic Tennis Event, with the world No. 1 singles players Shingo Kunieda (JPN), Diede de Groot (NED) and Dylan Alcott (AUS) heading the men’s, women’s and quad entries respectively.

Alongside two-time Paralympic singles champion Kunieda, Rio 2016 bronze medalist Yui Kamiji (JPN) is another medal contender from the host nation, with the world No. 2 bidding to end Dutch dominance in the women’s singles and doubles events. Netherlands have won all 14 gold medals in the women’s singles and doubles events since wheelchair tennis was introduced at the 1992 Paralympic Games.

Alcott will bid to retain his Paralympic quad singles title, while Gordon Reid (GBR) will defend the men’s singles gold medal he won at Rio 2016. There will be a new women’s singles champion with Rio 2016 gold medalist Jiske Griffioen not competing in Tokyo.

World No. 1s De Groot and Alcott are also aiming to remain on course to achieve the ‘Golden Slam’, having both won all 3 Grand Slam singles titles so far this season. Should De Groot or Alcott go on to win Paralympic singles gold and the singles title at the US Open, they would become the first wheelchair tennis players in history to win the Golden Slam in singles.

Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer (FRA) defend their men’s doubles title, but will face stiff opposition from Reid and Alfie Hewett, who are looking to become the first doubles team to hold the doubles titles at all four Grand Slam events and the Paralympic gold medal simultaneously. Victory at both the Paralympics and the US Open this year would also see Hewett and Reid become the first wheelchair doubles team to win the Golden Slam. Aniek van Koot, who won women’s doubles gold at Rio 2016 alongside Griffioen, will defend her title partnering De Groot, while Alcott and Heath Davidson will defend their quad doubles title.

According to the ITF’s Qualification System, entries are based on the ITF wheelchair tennis rankings of 7 June. All players must be in good standing with their national association and have made themselves available to represent their country in the Wheelchair World Team Cup. The entry lists remain subject to change.

“Following the success of the Olympic Tennis Event, we are already excited to return to Tokyo to watch the world’s best wheelchair tennis players compete for gold,” ITF President David Haggerty said. “We know how much winning a Paralympic medal means to these athletes and, having had to wait an extra year due to the pandemic, I have no doubt that all six medal events in Tokyo will be hotly contested.”

CLICK HERE FOR PARALYMPIC TENNIS EVENT ENTRY LIST