Paris 2024: Ones to Watch in wheelchair tennis

The 10 names you should be looking out for at the Paris 2024 Paralympics 26 Jul 2024

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will take place between 28 August and 8 September 2024.

By IPC

With the countdown to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games well and truly in the final stages, our Sport Weeks provide you with the perfect guide to each of the competitions being contested in France.

To round off this week, here are the wheelchair tennis players to look out for when the Paralympics open next month.

Niels Vink (the Netherlands)

A male wheelchair tennis player in action at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics — @Buda Mendes/ Getty Images

Vink is a five-time singles Grand Slam champion who made his Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020. He will be aiming to upgrade his Paralympic singles bronze to gold at Paris 2024.

Diede de Groot (the Netherlands)

Diede de Groot, a Dutch wheelchair tennis player, pumps up her fist on court — @Julian Finney/ Getty Images

The dominant player in women’s singles is out to defend her double Paralympic gold after completing a calendar Grand Slam in 2023. Her stunning performance was rewarded with the 2024 Laureus World Sportsperson with a Disability Award.

Najwa Awane (Morocco)

A female wheelchair tennis player prepares to serve — @ITF

The Moroccan won both the women’s singles and doubles at the 2023 African Para Games to confirm her status as one of the continent’s most promising stars. Paris 2024 will be her second Paralympics.

Donald Ramphadi (South Africa)

A male wheelchair tennis player in action — @Getty Images

Ramphadi enjoyed a standout 2023, winning his first Grand Slam quad doubles title at Roland Garros and breaking into the world’s top five quad singles players for the first time. He is set to make his Paralympic debut in Paris.

Heath Davidson (Australia)

A male wheelchair tennis player is about to return the ball — @Getty Images

The four-time Australian Open quad doubles champion and Paralympic doubles gold medallist reached his first Grand Slam singles final in 2023, finishing runner-up to Niels Vink at Wimbledon.

Dana Mathewson (USA)

A female wheelchair tennis athlete plays a backhand on a grass court. — @Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

She was crowned both singles and doubles champion at the 2023 Parapan American Games to earn her spot for the Paris 2024 Paralympics - her third Games.

Gustavo Fernandez (Argentina)

A male wheelchair tennis player eyes the ball with focus as he prepares to return it during a match. — @Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

The former men’s singles world number one is a five-time Grand Slam singles champion. He won double gold at the 2023 Parapans as he chases his first Paralympic medal at his fourth Games.

Angelica Bernal (Colombia)

Angélica Bernal holding her Lima 2019 gold medal — @Lima 2019

The multi-Parapan American Games medallist returned to the world’s top 10 in 2023 ahead of her fourth Paralympics in Paris.

Tokito Oda (Japan)

A male wheelchair tennis player hits a ball. — @Lintao Zhang/ Getty Images

Oda was the breakthrough star of 2023, winning two Grand Slam singles titles and reaching the men’s singles number one spot at the age of just 17. This year, he defended his French Open singles title at Roland Garros, the venue of the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Paris 2024 will be his Paralympic debut.

Zhenxu Ji (China)

One of the rising stars of Chinese tennis who broke into the world’s top 20 singles players for the first time in 2023. Ji will be contesting his second Paralympics in Paris.

Learn more about wheelchair tennis and 22 sports on the Paris 2024 Paralympic programme