In addition to all the usual sights and sounds at Australian Open 2025, visitors this year will be able to enjoy more wheelchair tennis.
The sport has come a long way in the last two decades, with the Australian Open leading the way.
MORE: Wheelchair draws at AO 2025
It was here in 2002 that a competitive wheelchair event was played as part of a main Slam, and this year, in another first, qualifying competitions were held for the singles events, and junior wheelchair tennis is also being contested on site for the first time.
According to Tennis Australia’s Head of Players with a Disability, Danielle Gescheit, the expansion of wheelchair tennis this year shows the increasing competition in the sport all over the world.
“I think the idea behind it is really that there's greater strength and depth of the players in the ranking list now internationally” she said.
“It's about trying to give the Grand Slam opportunity to more players and let them fight for their way to play at the Australian Open. In the singles, there are 14 direct entries, and then two spots reserved for the qualies, which happened here on site.
“If you look at draw sizes, they've grown over time as well. A few years ago here, the quads were a draw size of four. We've expanded now to 16. It really shows that the level of wheelchair tennis is definitely developing internationally, and anyone really could go out there and win it.”
READ: World's top wheelchair players confirmed for AO 2025
Wheelchair tennis is increasingly popular around the world, but particularly in Australia, where Dylan Alcott, who won seven Australian Open quad titles and 15 Slams in all, is a national hero.
Alcott’s influence has been priceless, with his last match here, the final in 2022, played at a packed Rod Laver Arena in front of a massive television audience.
For Tennis Australia and the Australian Open, investing in wheelchair tennis is important both in terms of inclusion and equality. The total prize money on offer across the wheelchair events is AUD $1.6 million while the men’s, women’s and quad divisions all carry equal prize money, with AUD $109,000 on offer to the winners.
“(That) will, in effect, set up these players for the year,” Gescheit said. “Outside of the Slams, unfortunately, the prize money in wheelchair tennis is still not financially viable for players to make it a career. So, we're now giving them the opportunity to actually become a professional athlete and train full time and earn a living from playing it, which is fantastic."
Alcott has long been an advocate of increasing prize money for wheelchair events, but he’s also delighted at the expansion of competition this year.
“It's super cool that the Australian Open has extended the draw sizes for the men, women and quads," he said.
"They're the biggest draws we've ever had. We've got qualifying for the first time, but probably one of the best things that I'm proud of is that we have junior singles and doubles for boys and girls.
“It's going to be unreal. The fact that there are junior boys and girls here, so they get that progression to be able hopefully one day play in the main draw and get the same experience that I've been lucky to do in a wheelchair. To compete for your country and win Grand Slams, it's unbelievable.”
The beauty of wheelchair tennis is also the incredible back-stories each player possesses. “The hardships they've overcome and then to commit to playing a sport professionally and full time, it's unbelievable,” Gescheit said.
“I think that the most inspiring and impressive thing is that they've overcome that and they move on. They just want to be seen as a damn good athlete. And they absolutely are.”