Ones to Watch for wheelchair tennis announced

Seven players to keep an eye on as World Team Cup begins 28 May 2018

seven wheelchair tennis players in action on the court

(Clockwise from top left) Kamiji, Alcott, Fernandez, de Groot, Hewett and Kunieda are the 2018 Ones to Watch

ⒸGetty Images

By IPC

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced its wheelchair tennis Ones to Watch as the World Team Cup gets underway in the Netherlands on Monday (28 May).

Selected in partnership with the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the Ones to Watch are those players who have the potential to make it to the headlines for the remaining of the season.

The list includes Paralympic champions and multiple-Grand Slam winners.

The Ones to Watch for wheelchair tennis are:

Men

Gustavo Fernandez (ARG)

Fernandez made history in 2017 by becoming the first Latin American wheelchair tennis player to reach the world No.1 position in singles. He was also named ITF World Champion for the first time after finishing the year leading the rankings.

Alfie Hewett (GBR)

In January 2018, Hewett became the world No.1 for the first time in his career at just 20 years old. He had enjoyed a very successful 2017, with singles titles at Roland Garros and the Masters.

Shingo Kunieda (JPN)

Kunieda stormed back to form after an injury-plagued 18 months to win his first Grand Slam singles title in three years at the 2018 Australian Open.

Women

Yui Kamiji (JPN)

Kamiji became International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Champion in 2017 for the second time in her career following an exceptional year where she won three of the four Grand Slam singles titles, at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and US Open.

Diede de Groot (NED)

De Groot has had a spectacular start of 2018, winning the Australian Open, the Georgia Open and the Cajun Classic Super Series to become the latest in a long line of world No.1 women’s singles players from the Netherlands.

Quads

Dylan Alcott (AUS)

Alcott made it four fabulous consecutive years winning the Australian Open quad singles trophy in 2018, when he emerged triumphant on home soil once more.

David Wagner (USA)

Wagner became the first International Tennis Federation (ITF) Quad Wheelchair World Champion after finishing as No. 1 for the eighth time in his career in 2017, 12 years after first ending the year in the top spot.

Full biographies of the Ones to Watch can be found on the International Paralympic Committee’s website.