Wheelchair tennis will take center stage this month when 21-times Grand Slam singles champion, Esther Vergeer, is inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame – a decade after her trophy-laden career ended.
Dutchwoman Vergeer, along with quad wheelchair tennis pioneer Rick Draney of the United States, will achieve tennis immortality when they are inducted into the ITHF in a ceremony scheduled for July 22 in Newport.
Wheelchair tennis candidates are considered for election into the Hall of Fame every four years, and the category recognizes candidates with a distinguished record of achievement at the highest international level.
This year marks the first time two wheelchair candidates have been elected simultaneously, with Vergeer and Draney becoming the sixth and seventh wheelchair tennis inductees.
In an interview with Forbes, Vergeer said the induction is the biggest honor of her career.
“For me to have this opportunity and this honor it’s unbelievable. At the beginning of my career, I never thought this would happen,” Vergeer said.
“It is great that the spotlight is on wheelchair tennis for a little bit, especially because tennis is such a good sport for inclusion. Wheelchair tennis has been integrated into the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for a very long time and also the Grand Slams. I think this is a showcase for other sports about how integration can work.
“For years, the ITF has been working hard for the inclusion and integration of wheelchair tennis, but now, you’re taking the next step and seeing it as part of tennis history.”
Role Of Tennis
Vergeer suffered paralysis when she was eight years old and took up tennis as part of her rehabilitation. She began playing at a local club in her hometown, Woerden, before moving to Amsterdam to train further.
The 41-year-old, a four-time Paralympic gold medalist in singles, said that tennis taught her several lessons – on and off the court.
“I started to train, and during one of the tournaments, a coach came up to me and told me that I was talented. I think that was the first time I ever got a compliment after I was disabled,” Vergeer recalled.
“It was an important moment for me that somebody acknowledged my talent instead of all the things that I couldn’t do anymore. And I think that’s the start of how tennis changed my life.
“It helped me gain confidence and enjoy life. It made me laugh, helped me create friendships and taught me important life lessons, like being respectful to other people and being humble all the time. It shaped my character.”
Support For Paralympic Sports In The Netherlands
According to Vergeer, it was after 1980, when the Paralympic Games were held in Arnhem, that the Netherlands started to realize the importance of supporting athletes with disabilities.
“In the Netherlands, there’s great support for Paralympic sports in general. The acceptance of people with disabilities is good. There are facilities everywhere – public transportation or accessibility to sporting venues,” she explained.
“There’s a lot of knowledge about Paralympic sports, and so there are trainers, coaches, and knowledge about equipment. Because we’re a small country, we all share that knowledge within the tennis association, but also with other sports associations.
“There’s just a lot of camaraderie, and we want to make sure that Paralympic athletes get the best facilities, and I think that’s how we make sure that the level or quality of our sports is high.”
Dominant Career
Vergeer was a dominant force in the world of wheelchair tennis, winning 48 major titles – 21 in singles and 27 in doubles.
One of the most decorated Dutch athletes, she retired with a singles winning streak of 470 victories and topped the world rankings in singles for 668 straight weeks.
Asked what helped her achieve greatness, Vergeer said: “My talent for the sport in combination with my willingness to work hard and be eager to learn. “I think I was maybe the first one or one of the first athletes who got so many sponsorships. And I think a combination of those things made sure that I was just eager to learn all the time.
“Back in the days that I was playing, I think wheelchair tennis or disability sports, in general, was not as developed as it is now. For example, how to build a conditional or training program around disability sports was not a set thing yet. So I had to figure that out myself – the same thing for nutrition. I was just pioneering basically to do all those things. And so, because the level wasn’t as professional yet, as it is now, I was the one that was setting the bar all the time.
“And then, of course, in wheelchair sports, there’s not as much competition as there is in abled-body sports. So it is a little bit easier, but it wasn’t easy. I mean, 470 matches unbeaten is, especially when I look back now, it’s kind of unreal, and I’m very proud of that.
Support From Tennis Fraternity
While winning medals and trophies were special achievements, Vergeer says receiving recognition from tennis greats Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic was also equally memorable.
“When Federer, Nadal and Djokovic know my name, my winning streak, and the intentions and goals that I have for wheelchair tennis and they support that, I think that is very much flattering for me that they acknowledged what I do or did,” she said.
Vergeer now serves as the tournament director of the ABN AMRO Open’s wheelchair tennis tournament. In 2004, she launched the Esther Vergeer Foundation, which introduces children with disabilities in the Netherlands to play sports.
“Our mission is that we help every kid with a physical disability or chronic disease to become a member of a local sporting club nearby their house,” she said. “I believe that if you play sports once or twice a week, it will grow your confidence and physical health. And it’s very much important that kids with disabilities get that chance to develop themselves in that way.”
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