The UNIQLO Interview: Greg Crump
Renowned globally, Tennis Australia's wheelchair tennis guru Greg Crump has done it all and the streets will not forget the work he has done to grow and develop the sport over the past four decades.
It is a contribution which earned him the accolade of ITF Wheelchair Tennis Coach of the Year for 2024, although that is not the only silverware he has clutched since his wheelchair tennis odyssey began in the late 1980s.
The plaudits have flowed, and it is a somewhat difficult task to summarise his career in a succinct maner, but equally a fun conundrum given the scope of this work - and indeed achievements.
Safe to say, it is an incredibly varied vocation with many facets, so we threw a potential curveball back at him and asked what day from his career would he re-live if afforded the opportunity.
“There have been many great days and plenty of tough ones also,” Crump told itftennis.com. “I guess it would be the day the lightbulb went off in my head about coaching wheelchair tennis and it being something I wanted to do.
“A lot of people who get involved in wheelchair tennis have either a family member or a friend that have had trauma or something like that, but there wasn’t any of that with me.
“I simply had a lightbulb moment that I was going to try this, and I volunteered at a spinal rehab hospital. Before too long I was doing more and more wheelchair tennis and within a few years coaching took up most of my time.”
View this post on Instagram
That lightbulb moment was the first step on a journey which continues to this day. Indeed, Crump has spent 37 years running tennis sessions for spinal cord injury patients at The Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre in Melbourne, while for the last decade he has done the same for patients at The Royal Children’s Hospital.
Crump’s stock rose and his coaching career progressed. Over the ensuing years he played a significant and sizeable role mentoring three Australian No. 1s in David Hall, Daniela di Toro and Dylan Alcott.
He has also been an influential figure in the life of Anthony Bonaccurso, who won bronze at the 2004 Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Event in Athens. The pair began hitting together after meeting at The Austin Hospital after Bonaccurso was electrocuted at a railway station as a teenager.
Crump’s support ignited a passion within Bonaccurso, who subsequently attended the coaching sessions his mentor was holding in Nunawading – an eastern suburb of Melbourne.
In addition, Crump has also captained six Australian World Team Cup-winning teams, fulfilled numerous roles across five Paralympic Games and helped shape the global direction of wheelchair tennis by serving on influential committees.
“Leaving a legacy is not really my thing,” said Crump, who has been key in developing Australia’s domestic wheelchair tennis tour, which features 12 national and international tournaments. providing important playing opportunities for emerging talent.
“However, I would like to think I have made a positive contribution to the sport and, more importantly, made a contribution to people’s lives along the way.
“It has been rewarding to work at both ends of the game. Working with No. 1-ranked players, Paralympic medallists and World Team Cup winners, but also people who just play wheelchair tennis with their friends and family.
“At this stage of my journey, I simply enjoy passing on the knowledge and experience I have acquired along the way. Many current players do not realise or appreciate where the sport has come from.”
View this post on Instagram
Sharing his expertise with the next generation really has been Crump’s focus in recent years and in 2024 he coached Australia’s junior team to a silver medal at the World Team Cup.
He continues to play an active role in the development of a new wave of player and last year his coaching was instrumental in the rapid rise of Jin Woodman, who became junior world No. 1 in January 2025.
During the previous 12 months, Crump was also integral in the development of all 11 internationally ranked Australian junior players, with him being the full-time coach of three – Sonny Rennison, Arlo Shawcross and Gillie Lumby.
Meanwhile, the fifth edition of the Greg Crump Cup – Australia’s premier wheelchair tennis event – held in 2024 drew record participation. Naturally, Crump used the event to mentor upcoming coaches as his commitment to grassroots wheelchair tennis continues.
“As I say, these days I like to pass on my knowledge and experience,” added Crump, who received the ITF Brad Parks Award in 2018.
“Being involved with the sport since its modest, humble beginnings is extremely satisfying. The growth of the sport over 35 years is staggering.
“Yet I am still amazed that some people are completely unaware of wheelchair tennis and disabled sports. When people do witness wheelchair tennis, they are astonished by the level of play, and that’s the biggest change in the last 35 years.
“The game has pretty much followed able-bodied tennis in terms of professionalism and training, and also that it’s now a lot more powerful and aggressive. Who knows what the future holds?
“I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by many great coaches and athletes from various sports in my life, and I have always been prepared to look and ask questions. My advice to people entering the game now would be to do the same.”
Crump's advice is very much worth listening to. Thanks for everything, Greg.