Wheelchair Tennis Masters: Entries announced

Shingo Kunieda and Diede de Groot have been announced as the top seeded men’s and women’s wheelchair tennis players for the year-end NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters in Orlando, USA, between 28 November and 2 December.

Japan’s three-time champion Kunieda will be joined in the men’s draw by three other Masters-winners: France’s world No.5 Stephane Houdet and two-time champions Joachim Gerard of Belgium and Stefan Olsson of Sweden.

Argentina’s world No.3 Gustavo Fernandez will start as the second seed as Great Britain’s Alfie Hewett has decided to take a break and therefore not compete at the Masters.

Hewett’s compatriot Gordon Reid, France’s Nicolas Peifer and Japan’s Takashi Sanada complete the draw.

Fresh from winning the US Open, Netherlands’ world No.1 and reigning champion Groot will head the women’s draw. Her main opponent will be none other than former Masters champion and six-time Grand Slam winner Yui Kamiji.

After making history in 2013, when she became the first non-Dutch player to win the women's singles title, Japan’s 24-year-old is still the only player from outside Netherlands to win the women's singles crown.

Groot’s compatriot Aniek van Koot will be the other Masters champion attending this year’s edition.

Germany’s Sabine Ellerbrock, South Africa’s Kgothatso Montjane, Italy’s Giulia Capocci, Netherlands’ Marjolein Buis and Great Britain’s Lucy Shuker complete the draw.

The 25th edition of the Masters will also see the six best quad players facing-off. Reigning and ten-time champion David Wagner of USA once again heads the field.

World No. 2 Dylan Alcott, No. 3 Andy Lapthorne and No. 6 Lucas Sithole are all former finalists. Meanwhile, No. 4 Koji Sugeno is set to make his Masters debut and No. 5 Heath Davidson will contest the event for the second time after making his debut in 2017.

This will be the first time that the Masters is held at the USTA National Campus.