More than 40 players came together at the USTA National Campus on Friday, July 24, to celebrate one of the most significant milestones in the sport’s history, the 50th anniversary of wheelchair tennis.
The free, family-friendly event brought wheelchair and able-bodied players together for on-court activities including drills, coaching tips and open play. Guests also had the opportunity to try wheelchair tennis firsthand, with sport-specific wheelchairs available for anyone interested in experiencing the game. Off the court, attendees enjoyed music, food, drinks and giveaways from the USTA Wheelchair Tennis team and partners.
The celebration was a fitting tribute to a sport that has grown from a simple idea on a California tennis court into a global movement played in more than 80 countries.
50 Years of Pushing Limits
Wheelchair tennis came into existence in 1976 when Brad Parks, a young skiing prodigy, was paralyzed after a freestyle skiing accident. While rehabbing, Parks asked a simple question that would change the sport forever, wondering if you can play tennis in a wheelchair. Parks and fellow rehabilitation patient Jeff Minnebraker decided to give tennis in a wheelchair a try on local courts near their hospital, and together they worked to develop a sport that would grow beyond anything they could have imagined. The key adaptation was allowing two bounces of the ball instead of one, making the game both accessible and fiercely competitive.
By 1977, the Los Angeles Parks and Recreation Department held the first wheelchair tennis tournament, which Parks won. The sport grew rapidly through the 1980s, with governance provided by the National Foundation of Wheelchair Tennis and the launch of the World Team Cup in 1985.
In 1988, wheelchair tennis was featured as an exhibition event at the Paralympic Games in Seoul, Korea. Four years later, at the 1992 Barcelona Paralympic Games, wheelchair tennis achieved full medal status. In 1998, the USTA made history by absorbing the National Foundation of Wheelchair Tennis, becoming the first national governing body worldwide to take on governance of a Paralympic sport.
The inclusion of wheelchair tennis in Grand Slam events began in 2002 with the Australian Open, with the US Open and Wimbledon following in 2005 and the French Open in 2006. Parks was the first wheelchair athlete inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2010.
Wheelchair Tennis in Florida
Florida has been at the heart of wheelchair tennis growth in the United States. The USTA National Campus in Lake Nona has hosted premier wheelchair tennis events including the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters and the ITA National Wheelchair Championships, bringing the world’s top wheelchair athletes to Orlando.
USTA Florida is dedicated to providing top-flight programming and developmental opportunities to wheelchair athletes of all ages and backgrounds, with the goal of helping athletes learn the sport and have fun. The state is home to wheelchair tennis programs in Orlando, Fort Myers, Palm Beach Gardens, Boca Raton, Kissimmee, Plantation and Tampa, among others.
In Jacksonville, USTA Florida helped launch the city’s first youth wheelchair tennis program, training coaches and providing equipment to get the program off the ground. USTA Florida also partners with organizations including Special Olympics, ACEing Autism, Love Serving Autism and others to promote tennis for all.
March 28, 2026, Orlando, FL
Brad Parks Award: Jim Tierney
Earlier this year, longtime USTA Florida volunteer Jim Tierney was honored with the Brad Parks Award at the 2026 USTA Annual Meeting & Conference, recognizing his outstanding contributions to the growth of wheelchair tennis in Florida.
Looking Ahead
Friday’s celebration at the National Campus was a powerful reminder that wheelchair tennis is more than a sport, it is a community built on inclusion, resilience and a shared love of the game. As the sport enters its next 50 years, events like these ensure that the spirit of accessibility and competition that Brad Parks ignited in 1976 continues to thrive.
To learn more about wheelchair tennis opportunities in Florida, visit ustaflorida.com/wheelchair-tennis.
