Wheelchair tennis Masters events to return to Orlando
The ITF and USTA have confirmed that the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Orlando will see the return of both the NEC Wheelchair Singles Masters and the UNIQLO Wheelchair Doubles Masters in 2021.
The ITF’s year-end wheelchair tennis championships for singles and doubles will take place on 31 October - 7 November, with the USTA National Campus hosting both events simultaneously for the second time in three years after they were cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The NEC Wheelchair Singles Masters, which was first held in 1994, is the ITF year-end championship for the world’s top eight men’s, women’s and quad singles players. The entry for the quad singles event has been increased from six players to eight players in 2021, meaning a total of 24 of the world’s top singles players will contest the year-end championship.
NEC has been title sponsor of the prestigious event since its inception in 1994, while 2021 marks 30 years of their sponsorship of ITF wheelchair tennis activities. The tournament celebrated its 25th edition in 2018, when it moved to the USTA National Campus for the first time.
The UNIQLO Wheelchair Doubles Masters is the ITF’s flagship wheelchair tennis doubles event. First staged in 2000, the season-ending event features the world’s top 18 pairs from the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour, across the men’s, women’s and quad divisions. UNIQLO became the title sponsor in 2014.
David Haggerty, ITF President said: “The season-ending NEC Wheelchair Singles Masters and the UNIQLO Wheelchair Doubles Masters are highlights of the calendar and we are delighted that they will be taking place in Lake Nona this year, particularly after the disappointment of not being able to hold the events in 2020. Thank you to the USTA and our event partners for their commitment and we look forward to seeing the world’s best players in action in November.”
Entries for the NEC Wheelchair Singles Masters and UNIQLO Wheelchair Doubles Masters 2021 will be based on singles and doubles rankings on the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Rankings as at 13 September 2021.