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In Making it happen...

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Funding the Games The Games are delivered by two key organisations.
Infrastructure A new utilities infrastructure for 2012 and beyond.
Latest progress Preparations for the London 2012 Games are on track.
Legacy after the Games The Olympic Park will be transformed after 2012.

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Local access and parking plans Help avoid congestion next summer
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Sustainability Sustainability is embedded in all our planning.
Testing programme A key part of preparations for London 2012

In Get Involved...

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In The Games...

Olympic sports The London 2012 Olympic Games comprise 26 sports.
Paralympic sports The London 2012 Paralympic Games feature 20 sports.
Venues The venues hosting the action in 2012
Olympic Park Creating a green space for the Games and beyond.
Games heritage The UK has strong historical ties to both Games.

Ceremonies The Ceremonies will be highlights of London 2012
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Sport competition schedules World-class sport will take place at London 2012

In Visiting in 2012...

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Accommodation London has accommodation to suit every taste.
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Wheelchair Tennis

Approximately 35 years after it was invented in the USA, Wheelchair Tennis remains one of the fastest-growing wheelchair sports in the world.

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Did you know?

Wheelchair tennis follows the same rules as able-bodied tennis with the only exception being that the wheelchair tennis player is allowed two bounces of the ball.

Esther Vergeer of the Netherlands is unbeaten in more than 420 matches, one of the longest winning streaks in any sport. Her last loss was in January 2003.

There are more than 170 tournaments worldwide on the Wheelchair Tennis Tour.

Key facts

Venue: Olympic Park - Eton Manor
Dates: Saturday 1 September –Saturday 8 September 2012
Medal events: 6
Athletes: 112

Wheelchair Tennis was invented in 1976 by Brad Parks, who had been experimenting with tennis as a recreational therapy after he was injured in a freestyle skiing competition. Since these humble beginnings, Wheelchair Tennis has grown at an amazing rate: now fully integrated into all four Grand Slam Tennis events, and with more than 170 tournaments on the ITF’s own Wheelchair Tennis Tour, it is more popular than ever.

The basics

The sport follows similar rules to Tennis, with one key exception: the ball is allowed to bounce twice, and only the first bounce must be within the boundaries of the court. All matches are played over the best of three sets.

At London 2012, the Wheelchair Tennis competition will consist of six medal events: men’s and women’s Singles; men’s and women’s Doubles; and Quad Singles and Quad Doubles, with men and women competing in the same events. Quad players have an impairment that affects three or more limbs. All events are played according to a knockout format.

Wheelchair Tennis at the Paralympic Games, past and present

After featuring as an exhibition sport at the Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games, Wheelchair Tennis was introduced as a full medal event at Barcelona in 1992, and has featured at every Games since then. At London 2012, the Wheelchair Tennis events will be played at Eton Manor, a brand new venue in the Olympic Park.

Jargon buster

- Ace: A legal serve that the opposing player fails to touch with their racket.
- Baseline: The far boundary line at either end of the court.
- Lob: A ball hit high in the air, usually deep into the opponent's court.
- Love: No points; zero.
- Tie-break: If the score in games reaches 6-6 in anything other than the deciding set, there is a tie-break, won by the first player or doubles team to reach seven points with a margin of at least two clear points.

See the London 2012 Paralympic Games competition schedule

Get involved

Wheelchair Tennis is a fast-growing participation sport in the UK. Find out how to get started by visiting the Tennis Foundation website as well as the Active Places website, which can help you find a court near you. Learn more about how to get involved on the Parasport website. The International Tennis Federation, the international governing body, is another good resource.

Wheelchair Tennis at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games

Related news

200 days to Paralympics: new venue complete
10 February 2012

Eton Manor heads towards the finish line
28 September 2011

On the blog

Now and then: Wheelchair Tennis
11 May 2011

Why I think International Paralympic Day would be great for London
14 July 2009

Venue: Eton Manor

The sporting facilities at Eton Manor will be the venue for Wheelchair Tennis during the London 2012 Games.

Who

Name: Esther Vergeer
Date of birth: 18 July 1981
Country: The Netherlands
Gold Medals:5
Esther has an enviable record at the Paralympic Games, with five gold medals from her three appearances. She burst onto the Paralympic scene at Sydney 2000, winning gold in the singles and doubles. At Athens 2004, she won both events again. Beijing 2008 saw her take gold in the singles and a silver in the doubles event. She has been the number one ranked player since 1999.

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Name: Peter Norfolk
Date of birth: 13 December 1960
Country: Great Britain
Peter,'The Quadfather', suffered a motorbike accident at the age of 19, and was left paraplegic. He made history at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens when he became the first British player ever to win a Paralympic medal in tennis, taking home gold in the quads singles. He successfully defended his title at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, winning gold in the singles event before taking bronze in the doubles with Jamie Burdekin.

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