Player's Guide to ITF Wheelchair Tennis 14 and Over in South Africa 2026

On top of the normal ways of losing a point under the Rules of Tennis, a wheelchair player loses the point if they:

1. Fail to return the ball before it bounces a third time;
2. Use any part of their feet or lower limbs (buttocks, hips, thighs, legs, ankles or feet) against the ground or a wheel while serving, hitting the ball, turning or stopping during a point (except a player permitted to push with one foot, under the foot rules); or
3. Fail to keep one buttock in contact with the seat when hitting the ball.

Under the 2026 Rules of Wheelchair Tennis, the wheelchair is treated as part of your body, so any rule about touching the ball, net or opponent's court applies to the chair too.

Specifications:

• Any material, as long as it is non-reflective and doesn't hinder your opponent.
• Wheels may have a single pushrim only.
• No levers, gears, steering, braking or energy-storage devices, or anything else that gives a mechanical advantage. You propel the chair with the wheels and pushrims only.
• Wheels must not leave permanent marks on or damage the court in normal play.
• The seat height (including cushion) is fixed, and your buttocks must stay in contact with the seat during a point. Strapping to secure you to the chair is allowed.
• Powered wheelchairs are allowed only for players who meet Article 10 of the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Classification Rules. They must not exceed 15 km/h in any direction and must be controlled by the player only.
• Modifications for medical reasons need ITF Sport Science & Medicine Commission approval, applied for at least 60 days before you use them in an ITF-sanctioned event.

Only if you can't propel the chair using the wheels because of lack of capacity. In that case you may push with one foot, but no part of that foot may touch the ground:

• during the forward swing of your stroke, including when the racket hits the ball; or
• from the start of your service motion until the racket hits the ball.

Breaking this rule loses you the point.

Otherwise, using any part of your feet or lower limbs against the ground or a wheel while serving, hitting, turning or stopping during a point loses you the point.

When a wheelchair player plays with or against an able-bodied player, in singles or doubles:

• The Rules of Wheelchair Tennis apply to the wheelchair player, who is allowed two bounces.
• The standard Rules of Tennis apply to the able-bodied player, who is allowed only one bounce.

All other rules (scoring, lines, lets and so on) are the normal ITF Rules of Tennis.

To play ITF wheelchair tournaments you need an Eligible Impairment, which means:

1. One of seven physical impairments: impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency, leg length difference, hypertonia, ataxia or athetosis;
2. The impairment is permanent; and
3. For impaired muscle power, impaired range of movement, hypertonia, ataxia or athetosis, the ITF can require diagnostic evidence that it is caused by an underlying health condition.

The impairment must also be a lower limb impairment that clearly affects your on-court movement in able-bodied tennis and would hurt your chances of competitive success there. You are assessed against the ITF's Minimum Impairment Criteria.

• Meet the criteria: you're eligible for the Open division (and possibly Quad).
• Don't meet them: you're classed Not Eligible (NE) for ITF wheelchair tournaments.

Impairments not on the list (for example, conditions without one of the seven physical impairments) are not eligible.

Wheelchair tennis has two sport classes: Open and Quad. Quad is for players whose impairment also substantially affects the arms. To be classified Quad you must meet the Open eligibility criteria and:

1. Have a permanent physical disability causing substantial loss of function in one or both upper limbs (judged without aids or prosthetics), such as a neurological deficit at C8 level or above, upper limb amputation, phocomelia, myopathy or muscular dystrophy, or an equivalent functional disability.
2. Have at least one of these: reduced function to serve overhead; reduced function to hit forehands and backhands; reduced function to push a manual wheelchair; or inability to grip the racket without taping or an assistive device.
3. Have at least three affected limbs.

Trunk function is considered too: a player with good trunk control needs a greater upper-limb impairment to qualify.

Competing:

• Quad players play the Quad category. Where an event has no Quad draw, they may play Men's or Women's as an on-site alternate or wild card.
• A Quad player can apply once, in writing, to compete in Men's or Women's instead; the ITF decides within 28 days.
• If a Quad player can't serve conventionally, the player or another person may drop the ball and let it bounce before it is struck, using the same method for the whole match.

Under the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Classification Rules (version 3.0, 2026):

1. File a Medical Registration Form (MRF) with the ITF at least three months before your first ITF wheelchair tournament. Filing it, registering for an IPIN or entering a tournament certifies that you meet the eligibility requirements.
2. The ITF Head of Classification (or a Classification Panel) reviews the form and any diagnostic information provisionally.
3. If you provisionally qualify, you are given Sport Class Status New (N) and can start competing in your division before attending an in-person evaluation.

Limits while you are "New":

• You can play all WT25 tournaments plus a maximum of four WT50 and/or WT100 tournaments, and no other events.
• The ITF can require you to attend an Evaluation Session at any time.

After full evaluation, your status becomes Confirmed (C) if your impairment and function are stable, or Review (R) / Review with a Fixed Review Date (FRD) if you need to be seen again.

Unless you apply for, and are eligible for, the Quad division, you are treated as eligible for the Open division only.

• Adult draws: you can enter a Men's, Women's or Quad draw if you are 14 or older on the Monday of the tournament week (or on the Monday of the week the Masters or World Team Cup starts).
• Juniors: players born on or after 1 January 2008 can play events designated for juniors in 2026.
• Gender categories: Men's and Boys' draws are for male players, Women's and Girls' for female players. Quad is open to players of any sex or gender.

You may be asked for photo ID (passport or driver's licence) to prove your age at any time, including by the ITF Supervisor at an event.

The ITF's UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour is graded by ranking points:

• Junior events are graded Masters, Grade A and Junior Series.
• National associations or other organisers run individual tournaments, which the ITF sanctions onto the Tour.
• The national team competition is the BNP Paribas World Team Cup, and the season ends with the Masters (NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters for singles, UNIQLO Doubles Masters, and the Junior Masters).
• Before you can enter any of these you must register each year for an ITF IPIN and pay the fee (with parental consent if you're a minor).

The ITF publishes separate Wheelchair Tennis Rankings for Men's, Women's and Quad, in singles and doubles, using results from the last 52 weeks:

• Mandatory events are included if you qualify for them.
• Ranking tournaments include the Grand Slams, WT1000 down to WT25 tournaments, the Masters, the World Team Cup (World Group and regional qualifying), the Paralympic Games and Regional Paralympic Games.
• To get a ranking you must meet the age rules and have earned points in at least two ranking tournaments.
• Juniors have their own Junior Wheelchair Tennis Ranking, from junior events plus 25% of points earned in adult draws.