Watch: A journey through 50 Years of Wheelchair Tennis
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of wheelchair tennis in 2026, the ITF has released a special commemorative video charting the sport’s remarkable journey over the past five decades.
The video highlights key milestones since Brad Parks founded wheelchair tennis in California, USA, in 1976, tracing the sport’s evolution from its beginning to becoming a global sport featured at the Paralympic Games, all four Grand Slams and the ITF’s flagship wheelchair team competition, the BNP Paribas World Team Cup, as well as the NEC Wheelchair Masters.
Created to mark this historic milestone, it celebrates the players, tournaments, partners and pioneering figures who have helped shape wheelchair tennis into the thriving international sport it is today.
The ITF has played a central role in the sport’s growth and in 1998 became the first international sports federation to fully integrate wheelchair tennis into its governance structure and wider activities. Today, wheelchair tennis is one of the world’s leading para sports, attracting global audiences at the Paralympic Games and Grand Slam tournaments, as well as more than 160 tournaments across 40+ countries on the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour.
As we reflect on an extraordinary five-decade journey, we look forward with excitement to the next chapter in the story of wheelchair tennis.