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 150 tournaments on the ITF’s own Wheelchair Tennis Tour, it is more popular than ever.

The basics

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 (subject to change)

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.

See also