Eleven-time Grand Slam doubles champion Nick Taylor is set to contest a major for the first time since 2015 after the Australian Open announced it would become the first Grand Slam to feature an expanded eight-strong quad division entry in 2021.

Four-time Australian Open and seven-time US Open doubles champion Taylor is among 24 players who will challenge for honours at each of the first three tournaments on the 2021 UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour, including the Victorian Wheelchair Open and the Melbourne Open, which take place ahead of the Australian Open.

Due to Covid-related travel restrictions, only international players playing in the Australian Open are able to enter Australia and therefore play the two lead-in events. The restriction on international visitors means draw sizes for ITF events are limited to the same draw sizes as the Australian Open.

The Victorian Open takes place on 3-6 February at the Hume Tennis Centre, the traditional home of the Melbourne Wheelchair Open, with this year’s Melbourne Open set to follow at the same facility on 8-11 February. The Australian Wheelchair Tennis Summer Series events culminate with the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on 14-17 February. 

The ITF Wheelchair Tennis Rankings of 21 December 2020 are used to determine the 24 players for the three tournaments, based on the traditional wheelchair Grand Slam entry criteria of seven players qualifying by direct entry with one wild card in each of the men’s, women’s and quad events.

With the Australian Open expanding its quad singles draw from four players to eight players for the first time, Dutchman Niels Vink is set to make his Grand Slam debut at Melbourne Park just five months after his compatriot Sam Schroder made a spectacular debut at the 2020 US Open, lifting the quad singles title on his first Grand Slam appearance.

Japan’s Shingo Kunieda and Yui Kamiji are set to defend their Australian Open men’s and women’s singles titles, with home favourite Dylan Alcott defending the quad singles title.

Elsewhere, the women’s field will see Chile’s Macarena Cabrillana make her Grand Slam debut.

World No. 12 Cabrillana, who enjoyed her biggest career success to date with victory at the 2020 ITF 1 French Riviera Open, lines up alongside the likes of Momoko Ohtani, who made a huge impact on just her second Grand Slam appearance at Roland Garros in October.

Ohtani beat world No.1 Diede de Groot in the semi-finals in France before going on to contest the first ever all-Japanese women’s singles wheelchair final at a Grand Slam final, against Kamiji.

Australian Wheelchair Tennis Summer Series players

(* ITF Wheelchair Tennis rankings as of 21 December 2020)

                       

Men                                              Ranking*

Shingo Kunieda (JPN)                    1

Gustavo Fernandez (ARG)            2

Alfie Hewett (GBR)                        3

Joachim Gerard (BEL)                    4

Gordon Reid (GBR)                        5

Stephane Houdet (FRA)                6

Nicolas Peifer (FRA)                      7

Ben Weekes (AUS)                        41 (WC)

                                                                                     

Women                                   Ranking*

Diede De Groot (NED)                  1

Yui Kamiji (JPN)                              2

Aniek van Koot (NED)                   3

Kgothatso Montjane (RSA)           6

Momoko Ohtani (JPN)                  7

Angelica Bernal (COL)                   8

Lucy Shuker (GBR)                         11

Macarena Cabrillana (CHI)           12 (WC)

                                           

                            

Quad                                       Ranking*

Dylan Alcott (AUS)                         1

Andy Lapthorne (GBR)                  2

Sam Schroder (NED)                      3

David Wagner (USA)                      4

Koji Sugeno (JPN)                           5

Niels Vink (NED)                             6

Heath Davidson (AUS)                    7

Nick Taylor (USA)                           16 (WC)