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Wheelchair Tennis: Fasten Your Seatbelt

On By Teresa Merklin

Since early January of this year, the Fiend at Court has covered the wheelchair section of ITF Rules of Tennis in a segment that runs each Wednesday. That march through the Rules of Wheelchair Tennis has been mostly sequential, though there has been a little jumping around to group related topics for a single post. Today I am covering a couple of topics that are loosely related only in the sense that we have largely already touched on both topics.

Wheelchair Tennis: Motoring On

On By Teresa Merklin

Every Wednesday the focus of this site returns to its foundational roots, the ITF Rules of Tennis as published in the USTA Friend at Court. We are currently in the midst of an exhaustive and sequential examination of the Rules of Wheelchair Tennis. Today we are exploring rules that require the player to power and operate the wheelchair without mechanical assistance. However, there are some pretty obvious exceptions to that rule.

Wheelchair Tennis Technical Wheel Regulations

On By Teresa Merklin

Today we are considering rules on the construction of the wheels used in Wheelchair Tennis. Coverage of this particular section marks the approximate mid-point of our foray into this Rules of Wheelchair Tennis. In addition to learning a lot about this adaptive version of tennis, it is a pleasant surprise to note that examination the Wheelchair Tennis rules sheds light on the spirit and intent behind many of the conventional Rules of Tennis.

Reflecting on a Wheelchair Tennis Rule

On By Teresa Merklin

There is a elegant simplicity to the Rules of Wheelchair Tennis. The ITF Rules of Tennis are constructed in a way that makes it clear that everyone plays tennis under the same basic rules. The adaptations of those rules for Wheelchair Tennis players are codified in a separate section that only addresses those modifications. As we have been working through our sequential examination of the Rules of Wheelchair Tennis addendum, each section typically overrides or adapts a rule on the books from the main body of the ITF Rules of Tennis.

Losing Points in Wheelchair Tennis

On By Teresa Merklin

Long time readers of the Fiend at Court may recall that I rejoiced when this steady march through the ITF Rules of Tennis reached the section titled “Player Loses Point.” I am nothing, if not an expert, in the art of losing a point. Now that this project is in the midst of the Rules of Wheelchair Tennis, it comes at no surprise to discover that there are some unique ways in which a wheelchair player can lose a point.

Service Alternatives in Wheelchair Tennis

On By Teresa Merklin

As we continue to work through the Rules of Wheelchair tennis, the final adaptation for delivery of the service presents a perplexing conundrum. While some wheelchair players can execute a conventional tennis serve, sometimes physical limitations make that action an impossibility. There is a rule adaptation that accommodates that situation.

Three New USTA Wheelchair Comments

On By Teresa Merklin

The recently released 2021 Friend at Court includes three new USTA comments against the ITF Rules of Tennis. Since this site is currently in the middle of exploring the section of that contains the Rules of Wheelchair Tennis, it makes sense to cover these comments now. This requires a little backtracking. All three of the new USTA comments are in the main body of the ITF Rules of Tennis rather than the wheelchair section.

USTA Friend at Court 2021

On By Teresa Merklin

The 2021 edition of the USTA Friend at Court was released a little over a week ago. As was anticipated after examining the 2021 ITF Rules of Tennis earlier this year, there are no substantive rule changes involving match play in this year’s updates. However, there are some significant structural changes that were made to the Friend at Court as well as a slew of new USTA event regulations.