“Let” Me Introduce You To Wheelchair Tennis

Are you looking for a recreational activity you can participate in with your able-bodied friends and family?  If so, try wheelchair tennis. Wheelchair tennis can be played by people with several different types of physical disabilities.  Disabilities range from those that have lost function in at least one of their lower extremities, to those with cervical level injuries.

Wheelchair tennis can be played in many different ways:

  • Singles wheelchair athlete vs. wheelchair athlete
  • Singles wheelchair athlete vs. stand up athlete
  • Doubles wheelchair athletes vs. wheelchair athletes
  • Doubles wheelchair athletes vs. stand up athletes
  • Doubles 1 up 1 down (wheelchair athlete and stand up athlete together on both sides)

The rules for wheelchair tennis are very similar to traditional tennis.  The court is the same size, and the matches follow the same rules set by the International Tennis Federation, with one exception: the tennis ball is allowed to bounce twice before a return must be made, of which only the first bounce must be within the lines of the court.

There are specific wheelchairs used to play tennis which differ from your everyday chair.  The wheelchair tennis chair has wheels that are angled to allow for the fast and smooth turns needed for a successful return.  The tennis chair also has two small wheels in the front next to the footrest and one wheel centered in the back for support.  Tennis chairs are lighter than most everyday chairs, which is important as wheelchair tennis athletes are always moving around the court. If you do not have a chair specifically for tennis, don’t be discouraged.  Sport-specific wheelchairs are only needed for competitions, and there is nothing wrong with using your everyday chair as a novice, or just to play with your friends and family.

If you are interested in learning more about wheelchair tennis, email us at to sports@mageerehab.org to arrange a time to meet the Magee Freedoms wheelchair tennis team. The Magee athletes practice every Sunday at the Cherry Hill Racquet Club, located at 1820 Old Cuthbert Rd, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034.

For more information about wheelchair tennis, or the other recreation programs offered at Magee, click here or call 215-587-3412.

Meanwhile, check out the video below to learn some of the basics.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W01sh8Yvk0A

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