FLUSHING, New York—Nadal may rule the Clay, and Federer may own the grass, but could either of these tennis superstars do what they do from a chair?
Wheelchair tennis is not a new sport, but one that may be unfamiliar to those outside the world of wheelchair sports. This weekend the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., played host to the 11th Annual Jana Hunsaker Memorial Tournament.
Hunsaker, who was a tennis director for the USTA National Tennis Center and an advocate for wheelchair tennis, passed in 2000. The tournament she had organized for many years took on her namesake, and became an international event.
Aki Takayama-Wolfson took on the responsibility of tournament director after Hunsaker’s passing. “She was very endearing to me, so I wanted to keep the wheelchair tennis alive, and certainly the tournament.” Takayama, a full-time tennis instructor for the USTA for the past 16 years, learned to teach wheelchair tennis from Hunsaker. Takayama’s passion for the sport keeps her coming back year after year. “I love it. I think it is great for the community. I think it is great for the player’s overall happiness.”
The tournament has grown by leaps and bounds. Takayama reports an increase of five to seven more participants each year. This year there were 63 participants over four levels of competition, including both singles and doubles. They are coming from all over the world, from as far away as Australia and Japan. The Open Division (top level) also featured $10,000 in prize money divided amongst the winners of each bracket.
The Game
The rules of wheelchair tennis are almost identical to the rules Nadal and Federer play by, except the player is allowed two bounces instead of one before returning a volley. Stephen Welch, a veteran wheelchair tennis player from Southlake, Texas, explained, “Wheelchair tennis is equal parallel to able-bodied tennis in terms of strategy and preparation, and what it takes to win.”
