Wheelchair Tennis Rules, Divisions and How to Start Playing
Wheelchair tennis is played on a standard court with the same net, racquets and balls as any other match, with one main rule change, the two-bounce rule, that lets wheelchair players rally with and against anyone. It also sits under mainstream tennis governance, and according to the International Tennis Federation, it became the first disability sport fully integrated into its sport's international federation, in 1998. For more on adaptive sports you can check out our guide to what adaptive sports are.
Key Takeaways
One rule changes everything: Wheelchair tennis follows the standard Rules of Tennis with one main exception, which is that the ball may bounce twice, and only the first bounce must land inside the lines.
Built for integration: The sport is played on any regular tennis court with standard equipment, so wheelchair players can rally, train and play doubles with non-disabled friends and family.
Two divisions: The Open division is for players with substantial loss of function in one or both legs; the Quad division is for players whose impairment also affects the upper limbs, with at least three limbs affected.
A professional tour: The ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour has grown from 11 tournaments in 1992 to more than 160 across 40-plus countries, and wheelchair events feature at all four Grand Slams.
You don't need classification to start: In Australia, all you need is a racquet, a chair and a willingness to play; classification only matters for ITF and Paralympic competition.
Australia is central to the story: The Australian Open was the first Grand Slam to include wheelchair tennis, in 2002, and Dylan Alcott made the Quad division a national headline act.
Table of Contents
Wheelchair Tennis Quick Facts
Wheelchair tennis began in 1976, when Brad Parks first hit a tennis ball from a wheelchair and saw the potential of the sport.
The sport was demonstrated at the Seoul 1988 Paralympics, the same year the International Wheelchair Tennis Federation was founded.
It became a full Paralympic medal sport at Barcelona 1992; Quad events joined the program at Athens 2004.
The ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour began in 1992 with 11 tournaments and now spans more than 160 events in over 40 countries.
All four Grand Slams have hosted wheelchair events since 2007; the Australian Open was the first, in 2002.
The court, net height, racquets and balls are all standard; the sports wheelchair and the second bounce are the main adaptations.
Sources: ITF, International Paralympic Committee, Australian Open
The Game at a Glance
Wheelchair tennis is tennis, full stop, played from a lightweight sports wheelchair with a small set of rule adaptations. According to the ITF's guide to the sport, it's still one of the fastest-growing wheelchair sports in the world, and it integrates easily with the non-disabled game because it's played on any regular court with standard-size racquets and balls. A wheelchair player and a standing player can share a court, a rally and a doubles team.
Under the rules, the wheelchair counts as part of the player's body. Tennis chairs are light and built for quick turns, because covering the court is a constant cycle of stop, turn and sprint. Watch an elite match and the chair skills stand out, with players chasing down drop shots and repositioning between strokes.
Wheelchair Tennis Rules
Scoring, serving order, sets and tie-breaks all follow standard tennis. According to the ITF and the Rules of Wheelchair Tennis, the exceptions are:
The two-bounce rule: Players may let the ball bounce twice and must return it before a third bounce. The first bounce must be within the court, the second may land anywhere.
The service: The server is allowed one push before striking the ball. A Quad player who can't serve in the conventional way may have the ball dropped for them.
The chair is part of the body: Rules that apply to a player's body apply to the wheelchair. Players lose the point if they use their feet or lower limbs against the ground or a wheel while serving, striking the ball, turning or stopping, or if they don't keep one buttock in contact with the wheelchair when they hit the ball.
Powered chairs: Players who meet a specific ITF classification criterion may use a wheelchair powered by an electric motor.
Everything else, including the geometry, the tactics, the spin and the mental battle, is tennis as you know it.
The Open and Quad Divisions
Wheelchair tennis has two sport classes, according to the International Paralympic Committee:
Open division: For players with substantial loss of function in one or both legs. Men and women compete in separate singles and doubles draws.
Quad division: For players who also have substantial loss of function in the upper limbs, with at least three limbs affected. Men and women compete together in combined singles and doubles draws.
International and Paralympic competition requires players to be classified against the sport's eligibility criteria. For anyone thinking of picking up a racquet, Tennis Australia is clear that you don't need to be classified to start, because classification is only required for ITF and Paralympic events.
From Brad Parks to the Grand Slams
According to the ITF's history of the sport, wheelchair tennis began in 1976, when Brad Parks, a former acrobatic skier paralysed in a skiing accident, hit a tennis ball from a wheelchair and saw the potential. He met fellow wheelchair athlete Jeff Minnenbraker during rehabilitation, and the two began developing the game. The National Foundation of Wheelchair Tennis was formed in early 1980, and in 1982 France became the first European country to set up a wheelchair tennis program.
The International Wheelchair Tennis Federation was founded in 1988, the same year the sport was demonstrated at the Seoul Paralympics. Full Paralympic medal status followed at Barcelona 1992, and on 1 January 1998 the federation was fully integrated into the ITF. Quad events joined the Paralympic program at Athens 2004. The Australian Open became the first Grand Slam to include wheelchair tennis in 2002, and all four majors have hosted wheelchair events since 2007.
Players to Know
The Netherlands' Esther Vergeer retired in February 2013 unbeaten in 470 consecutive singles matches stretching back a decade, with seven Paralympic gold medals. According to the IPC, Japan's Shingo Kunieda is the most successful men's wheelchair tennis player of all time, and Dutch player Diede de Groot became the first player to hold all four Grand Slam singles titles at the same time, in June 2019.
For Australians, the story runs through Dylan Alcott, who won Paralympic gold in wheelchair basketball before switching to tennis and winning the quad singles at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. According to Paralympics Australia, he has won four Paralympic gold medals and two silvers across his career.
Is Wheelchair Tennis Right for You?
According to Tennis Australia wheelchair tennis is open to anyone with a permanent physical impairment that affects mobility or balance, and all you need to get started is a racquet, a chair and a willingness to play. In Britain, according to the LTA, you don't have to be a full-time wheelchair user, and many players are ambulant and treat the sports wheelchair as another piece of equipment.
Practical first steps:
Contact your national or state tennis body: Ask about come-and-try sessions, inclusive club programs and whether a sports wheelchair is available to borrow before you buy your own.
Play with the people you already play with: Because of the two-bounce rule, a wheelchair player and standing players can share the same social hit or doubles court from day one.
Compete when you're ready: Tennis Australia runs the Australian Wheelchair Tennis Tour, and classification only enters the picture at ITF and Paralympic level.
For parents, Tennis Australia runs a Junior Wheelchair Development Series of friendly events for young players, and the sport is non-contact. A child who loves hitting a ball has a pathway from the local court to the Australian Open.
Who Governs Wheelchair Tennis and Where to Find Your National Body
Wheelchair tennis sits inside mainstream tennis. Internationally, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has governed the sport since 1998, running the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour, the rankings and the World Team Cup. Domestically, the same national federations that run non-disabled tennis run the wheelchair game:
Australia: Tennis Australia runs the wheelchair pathway, from club programs and junior events to the Australian Wheelchair Tennis Tour. Paralympics Australia covers Paralympic eligibility.
United Kingdom: The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) runs Open Court, its disability program in more than 600 clubs and venues, and the Wheelchair Performance Pathway.
United States: USTA absorbed Brad Parks' national wheelchair tennis foundation in 1998 and runs the American wheelchair game, including the US Open wheelchair championships.
For how national structures like these translate into local opportunity, see our piece on adaptive sports associations.
Final Thoughts
What I like most about wheelchair tennis is how little it differs from the rest of the sport. The rule changes are minor. There's a second bounce, the server gets one push before hitting the ball, and the chair counts as part of your body. Everything else is ordinary tennis, so a wheelchair player can join their local club and play with friends on the same courts as everyone else, which I think is just brilliant.
I spend my working life around community sport and recreation, and the hardest part of inclusion is rarely the activity itself. It's the separate session, the special venue and the different night of the week. Wheelchair tennis sidesteps most of that because the courts already exist in almost every suburb. It's the same quality I admire in wheelchair basketball.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is wheelchair tennis?
A: Wheelchair tennis is tennis, full stop, played from a lightweight sports wheelchair with a small set of rule adaptations.
Q: What are the rules of wheelchair tennis?
A: Wheelchair tennis uses the standard Rules of Tennis with a few exceptions. The ball may bounce twice, the server gets one push before striking the ball, the wheelchair counts as part of the player's body, and players can't use their feet to brake or steady themselves.
Q: What is the two-bounce rule?
A: Wheelchair tennis players may let the ball bounce twice, returning it before a third bounce. The first bounce must land within the court; the second can land anywhere.
Q: What's the difference between the Open and Quad divisions?
A: Open division players have substantial loss of function in one or both legs. Quad division players also have substantial loss of function in the upper limbs, with at least three limbs affected, and quad draws are mixed-gender.
Q: Can wheelchair players play against standing players?
A: Yes. The two-bounce rule lets wheelchair and standing players share the same court socially and in integrated formats, on any standard tennis court.
Q: Do I need to be a full-time wheelchair user to play?
A: No. According to the LTA, many wheelchair tennis players are ambulant and use the sports wheelchair as sporting equipment.
Q: Do I need to be classified to play?
A: Not to start. Classification is only required for International Tennis Federation and Paralympic competition, so social play and club programs don't require it.
Q: Which Grand Slams include wheelchair tennis?
A: All four. The Australian Open (the first to include it, in 2002), Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open have all hosted wheelchair events since 2007.
Q: Is wheelchair tennis suitable for children?
A: Yes. Junior pathways run through national tennis federations, including Tennis Australia's Junior Wheelchair Development Series, and the sport is non-contact.
