This year, the US Open Tennis Championships will not feature men's and women's wheelchair or quads tennis due to the overlap with the Paralympics, where the best wheelchair tennis players are currently competing in Paris.
Every four years, the Paralympics wheelchair tournament coincides with the US Open. However, the juniors' wheelchair tournament will still be held at the US Open in Queens, New York.
The Israeli players are making an impact at the tournament, which began on Friday and will continue through September 7. They are competing on the same courts used for the French Open. Adam Berdichevsky, 40, who began wheelchair tennis after a boating accident in 2007, won his first Paralympic singles match against Luca Arca of Italy 6-2, 7-5. He described his experience as deeply fulfilling, particularly enjoying the supportive crowd, according to Jerusalem Post news reports.
Sergei Lysov, 20, who moved to Israel from Russia in 2019 and was diagnosed with Perthes' disease as a child, won his debut match against Brayan Tapia of Chile 7-5, 6-1. Despite a strong performance, Lysov was defeated in the second round by top-seeded Alfie Hewett from Great Britain.
Guy Sasson, the reigning Roland Garros quad singles champion and third seed in the tournament, won his first-round match against Francisco Cayulef of Chile 6-2, 6-3, and progressed to the semifinals after defeating Gregory Slade of Great Britain 6-1, 6-2. Sasson expressed his enthusiasm for playing at such a prestigious venue.
Maayan Zikri, the sole female player on the Israeli team, triumphed over Najwa Awane of Morocco 6-3, 6-2 in her opening match.
Wheelchair tennis has been part of the Summer Paralympic Games since Barcelona 1992, with previous appearances as a demonstration sport at Seoul 1988. This year’s tournament includes 95 players from 28 countries, with matches played on outdoor clay courts at Stade Roland Garros.
Boaz Kramer, Executive Director of the Israel ParaSport Center, expressed pride in the players' achievements and their representation of Israel. He highlighted the center's decade-long investment in developing a distinguished wheelchair tennis program.
The Israeli Paralympic team includes 27 athletes competing in 10 events, with Roni Bolotin, a former Paralympic swimmer and head of the delegation, emphasizing the importance of these Games during such challenging times for Israel.
Some wheelchair tennis players will receive compensation from the US Open despite not attending. The USTA has allocated $6,244,000 for grants and expenses to ensure that these athletes are financially supported.
