Wheelchair Tennis at the 2024 Paralympics: Top Contenders, Event Schedule, and Key Highlights

 Event Overview

Means of qualification	Date	Venue	Male	Female	Quads
2023 European Para Championships	8–20 August 2023	Rotterdam	Netherlands	Netherlands	—
2023 African Para Games	3–12 September 2023	Accra	South Africa	Morocco	—
2022 Asian Para Games	22–28 October 2023	Hangzhou	Japan	Japan	—
2023 Parapan American Games	17–25 November 2023	Santiago	Argentina	United States	—
Singles World Ranking Allocation	15 July 2024	—	Austria  Belgium  Brazil  Brazil  Chile  China  China  Costa Rica  France  France  France  France  Great Britain  Great Britain  Great Britain  Great Britain  Israel  Italy  Japan  Japan  Japan  Malaysia  Netherlands  Netherlands  Netherlands  South Korea  Spain  Spain  Spain  Sri Lanka  United States  United States	Argentina  Chile  China§  China§  China§  China§  Colombia§  France§  France§  France§  Germany  Great Britain§  Japan§  Japan§  Japan§  Netherlands§  Netherlands§  Netherlands§  South Africa§  Switzerland	Australia  Brazil§  Canada  Chile§  Chile§  Great Britain§  Israel  Netherlands§  Netherlands§  South Africa§  Turkey§  United States
Bipartite Commission Invitation	23 July 2024	—	12	France§  Great Britain§  Israel  Japan§  Netherlands§  Morocco§  Morocco§  Colombia§  Thailand  South Africa§	Brazil§  Great Britain§  South Africa§  Turkey§

Wheelchair tennis at the 2024 Paralympics promises thrilling action with top athletes from around the globe competing for gold. Matches will be held in Paris, featuring men’s, women’s, and quad divisions. The event will showcase both singles and doubles competitions, adhering to the ITF’s rules modified for wheelchair play.

Top Contenders

• Men’s Singles: Shingo Kunieda (Japan) is a standout, with a history of dominating the sport. Alfie Hewett (Great Britain) is also a strong contender, aiming to capitalize on his recent successes.
• Women’s Singles: Diede de Groot (Netherlands) is the player to watch, having consistently topped the rankings. Yui Kamiji (Japan) will also be aiming for gold, bringing experience and skill to the court.
• Quad Division: Dylan Alcott (Australia) has been a dominant force, but with his recent retirement, all eyes are on new frontrunners like Niels Vink (Netherlands) and Andy Lapthorne (Great Britain).

Event Schedule

The wheelchair tennis events will span several days, with early rounds beginning in the first week of September. Key matches, including semifinals and finals, are scheduled for the latter half of the month, ensuring high-stakes action as athletes vie for medals.

Qualification

An NPC can enter a total maximum of eleven qualification slots:

• four male and female athletes in men's and women's 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 are allocated to the individual athletes, not the NPC. All athletes must also have an official ranking in the Wheelchair Tennis Singles World Ranking list and have been part of a nominated team at a World Team Cup event, minimum of two years between 2021 and 2024, one of those should be in either 2023 or 2024.

Key Highlights

• Historic Moments: Watch for potential historic wins, particularly in the quad division, where new champions will emerge following Dylan Alcott’s retirement.
• Technological Innovations: The 2024 games will see enhanced wheelchair technology, improving performance and strategy on the court.
• Doubles Showdowns: The doubles matches will offer exciting partnerships and intense rivalries, with top players teaming up for a shot at Paralympic glory.