Team GB Wheelchair Tennis Stars Make History

Team GB Great has ended the Netherlands’ 15-year domination in the wheelchair tennis category of the European Tennis Trophy.

A First for Tennis

Tennis Europe announced this week that Great Britain and the Netherlands will share the wheelchair tennis trophy after tying on 863 points.

The wheelchair tennis category was first introduced into the Tennis Europe calculations in 2001.  Points are awarded according to final results at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup, the number of players a nation has in the top 50 of the men’s and women’s singles and doubles rankings and the top 20 of the quad singles and doubles rankings.

Great Britain made history in 2015 by winning the men’s World Group for the very first time and for winning bronze in the women’s World Group too. In total players on the Tennis Foundation’s Wheelchair Tennis World Class Programme won a total of 78 international titles in both singles and doubles in 2015.

“It will be a season I will never forget and to start Paralympic year with this news will hopefully boost us again as we work towards Rio 2016.” Gordon Reid

Going Forward

Twenty fifteen overall was a great year for British tennis and will boost Team GB as they work towards Rio 2016. Gordon Reid, who followed gold medal success at the World Team Cup by winning the men’s doubles, also won the US Open, and Doubles Masters.  Reid ended 2015 number one in the men’s doubles ranking.

Last year also saw Jordanne Whiley win her first Grand Slam singles title at the US Open and her first Super Series singles title at the British Open.

“In 2015 I think we showed that Great Britain is challenging for all the major honours in wheelchair tennis like never before.”

Great Britain is competing for all the major honours in wheelchair tennis like never before.  The Netherlands have dominated the sport for some time, particularly in the women’s game, and Team GB’s 2015 success will undoubtedly inspire a determination to make 2016 another great year for British wheelchair tennis.

With the continued support of UK Sport funding through the National Lottery, Team GB will continue to strive for excellence against strong challengers from around the world and aim to arrive at the Rio Paralympics as best prepared as they can to challenge for medals.

Follow the preparations for Rio 2016 on the British Paralympic Association website by clicking here or stay up to date with Team GB on Facebook.