Question: What is the difference between wheelchair tennis and quad wheelchair tennis?
Grace Newcastle
Answer: The Open division is for athletes whose impairment affects their lower limbs, while the Quad division is for athletes with disabilities affecting three or more limbs, including reduced arm or hand function. That additional upper body damage makes hitting and controlling the racquets even more challenging.
Why is the prize money for wheelchair athletes so much less than wheelchair athletes when their costs may be higher?
Hilary in Poole and Susan in Scotland
Answer: The draw size is smaller in wheelchair tennis than in non-wheelchair tennis, meaning there are fewer rounds and therefore less prize money in the pot. But it’s a place that’s improving every year. Compared to many other handicap sports it is very high. Each Grand Slam event will have a different reason behind their prize money.
Question: At what speed do wheelchair players work?
Roger in Bedford
Answer: In the men’s division, Tokito Oda has the fastest serve in the world and tops out at 112mph. In the women’s category Diede de Groot, one of the best players of all time, has a career of around 90mph, so she is also very fast!
Typical tee speeds are 90-115mph (145-185kmh) in the Men’s Open category. Large servers can sometimes reach 120mph (193kmh).
In the Women’s Open category, the average speed of the serve is 70-95mph (113-153kmh) and the fastest servers may exceed 100mph (161kmh).
The Quad category can see performance of around 55-90mph (89-145kmh) for men and 50-80mph (80-129kmh) for women. Speeds vary greatly here due to varying levels of upper arm activity.
Q: Is the net the same height as wheelchair tennis?
Rachel in Lincolnshire
Answer: Yes the net is the same – everything in terms of the field, the size, the height of the net is exactly the same for wheelchair players as it is for standing players.
Q: How is the Hawk-Eye adjusted for wheelchair play?
Danesh in Horsham
Answer: Hawk-Eye is not affected by whether it tracks a player standing or in a wheelchair as it only tracks the ball. In fact, in some ways, Hawk-Eye is a better system than line judges in wheelchair tennis, because what used to happen with the officials was that a player in a wheelchair would block their view of the line too much.
Q: Do wheelchair players use different wheels in different areas?
Jill in Norfolk
Answer: The main thing that players often change at each location is the tire pressure adjustment. So on a surface like grass they may release a little PSI from the tires to keep them from going too far, but the tires themselves don’t change. The only time there is a real wheel rule is when it comes to castors – the small wheels on the front and back of the wheelchair. Wimbledon has a special rule where it has to be a certain width to make sure it doesn’t damage the grass.
Q: Is there a foot fault equivalent to wheelchair tennis?
Lynda in Edinburgh
Answer: It is called a ‘wheel fault’ if the front wheel is over the line before the server is hit.
Question: Do wheelchair tennis players use different chairs in singles/doubles to improve agility/flexibility, or do they stick to one chair? And what are wheelchairs made of?
Answer: Tennis wheelchairs are made of:
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Aluminum alloy – The most common material. It is lightweight, durable and relatively affordable, making it popular with club and competitive players
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Titanium – Premium seats often use titanium. It is lighter than aluminum with the same strength, absorbs vibrations well and resists corrosion, but it is more expensive.
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Carbon fiber – Used for selected parts (and sometimes frame parts). Carbon fiber is very light and strong, helping to improve acceleration and efficiency.
They use the same wheelchairs for singles and doubles.
This article is the latest from BBC Sport’s Ask me anything the group.
