The eight best wheelchair tennis players in the world rankings will compete in the year-end championships in Oss this year. The official World Championships takes place from October 30 to November 6 at the Sports Center De Rusheuvel.
There will be a total of five hard tennis courts in the complex located on Rusheuvelstraat, with one court serving as the central court. Six tournaments are played on it: singles and duos by gender and for quadruplets. Participants first play a group round, followed by the knockout stage.
The last edition of the Masters, as the tournament is called, was in the United States last year. “From Orlando to Os is just one small step?” says Alderman Kees van Geffen proudly. It indicates that Oss wants to be an inclusive and sporty city. “So we are very proud that we managed to bring this event to Oss.”
Players who participate in the NEC singles wheelchair tennis and double wheelchair masters count on the position in the pre-tournament world rankings. The best eight players in each category are allowed to participate.
Netherlands first country
The Netherlands is the world’s first in wheelchair tennis. At the last Paralympics, the Netherlands won at least one medal in all categories. Three times there was gone. The guys have an event during the ABN Amro WTT in Rotterdam, but the ladies don’t. The KNLTB Tennis Association loves that women are now able to introduce themselves to the Dutch public.
“A unique opportunity for the public to see top players Ded de Groot and Annick van Kot in action,” says General Manager Eric Boyle. In 2021, de Groot won almost everything for women to win: four major championships, two golds at the Paralympics and the World Cup. So she defends her title in Oss.
Chevers Championship Manager
Bossche player Michael Chivers is the Tournament Director. The wheelchair tennis player won a bronze medal at the 2021 Paralympic Games with his doubles partner Tom Egbernick and has been in the world for a long time. He won the Singles Masters in Amsterdam in 2009. The last time the World Singles Championships was held was in the Netherlands a year later, also in the capital. In 2017 and 2018, Gelderse Bemmel organized the World Cup in doubles.
Tennis Legends and Clinics
Osse Team TOC with contacts in Paralympic sports is the organizer of the tournament. “We would very much like to partner with the Osse parties to ensure the success of this event,” says organizer Eric Kirsten. He is considering clinics and opportunities for local tennis clubs to take advantage of the tournament. “And of course we will ensure that in addition to today’s top athletes who will soon be on the track at Oss, we will bring one or more tennis legends to Oss.”
