Wimbledon Wheelchair 2023 Events

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Interested in watching the Wimbledon wheelchair events in 2023? Check out the key information right here.

Wimbledon Wheelchair 2023 Events – Quick Rundown

Wimbledon is one of the four Grand Slams held each year. And while this tournament obviously gains plenty of recognition for the singles and doubles events, there are others being played over this two-week period. Specifically, the Wimbledon wheelchair events are some that tennis fans tend to overlook. That’s not because wheelchair tennis isn’t entertaining – it’s simply because the singles and doubles tournaments sometimes steal all the attention.

A bit strange considering the very strong British traditions when it comes to Wimbledon wheelchair competitions. The Brit Alfie Hewett is a 7-time Grand Slam winner. Also, the all-British pair Hewett-Reid have reached the Wimbledon final in all of the last 6 editions. Can they make it a lucky 7?

With that in mind, if you are seeking some details on the wheelchair tournaments for the 2023 Wimbledon, you’ve come to the right spot. Below, we shall discuss the event formats, and the structure of the matches, and we’ll also give you detailed previews and reviews of all the action.

The different Wimbledon wheelchair tournaments

The actual format for each of the individual wheelchair events is different from one another. This can be due to the draw size, the format of the matches, and more. However, rather than give you an overview to work with, the best option is to break down each event and discuss the key details. That’s precisely what we’ve done through each of the events listed below:

Men’s Singles

Starting with the men’s singles, the size of the draw this year is only 8. Unlikely the other Grand Slams where there are usually 16 players competing the much more expensive wheelchairs needed for grass surface mean that the 2023 Wimbledon will have shortened number of athletes. This means that 8 players will compete for a chance to win the tournament. Matches are played as the best of three sets, and the ball is allowed to bounce twice. This rule remains consistent for all of the Wimbledon wheelchair events, not just men’s singles. Note that the third set is a full third set, with a match tie-break to decide the match if required.

Semifinals Review

Both semifinals of the Wimbledon wheelchair Men’s Singles were decided in straight sets. The number 1 seed Japanese Oda had the tougher test but he still managed to beat the Brit Reid 6-3, 6-4. Oda had to come from an early break down in both those sets but once he got going the Japanese was simply impossible to contain.

The other seeded player the British number 1 Alfie Hewett was more decisive and he beat the dangerous Spaniard De La Puente 6-3, 6-2. Alfie dominated from start to finish and moved a step close to the only Grand Slam title he doesn’t have in his collection. Alfie Hewett is officially the most decorated British tennis player in history with 24-Grand Slam triumphs in singles and doubles.

Final Preview

The number 1 seed Japanese Oda enters the final as the slight underdog. This is because the British tennis legend Alfie Hewett is determined to finally win his first-ever Wimbledon Singles title. Hewett should feel confident as he beat Oda in 3 of their last 4 meetings. Still, the Japanese are the most successful nation when it comes to wheelchair events and Oda is the world number 1 for a reason. He won’t simply roll over because the British fans fancy a fairy tale ending for Alfie Hewett.

Women’s Singles

In an exact mirror image of the men’s singles, the women’s singles consist of only 8 players too, normally this number is 16 at other Slams. The women also play following a best-of-three set format, which is different from the men’s and women’s singles events for the main tournament. Once again, a tie-break will decide the match if it goes to 6-6 in the final set, which doesn’t happen all that often. And since this is an 8-player draw, an individual must win three matches in a row to win the championships.

Semifinals Review

The world number 1 and big favourite De Groot expectedly breezed past her inexperienced compatriot Van Koot 6-2, 6-0 to book her place in the Wimbledon’s final. De Groot dominated the match from start to finish and completed the job in less than an hour. She’s been looking unplayable all tournament.

Griffioen caused an upset in the other semi to book an all-Dutch final. The world number 3 was a slight underdog against the top seeded athlete from Japan Kamiji. However, Griffionen won 6-3, 7-5 with the main reason for her win the 27 unforced errors Kamiji committed in what was a very uncharacteristic display from the Japanese.

Final Review

The world number 1 and big favourite De Groot cruised past the other Dutch lady and world number 3 Griffioen in a 6-2, 6-1 win. This very one-sided final brought De Groot yet another Grand Slam title and her total dominance on the female’s Tour continues.

Men’s / Women’s Doubles

We’ve put this under one category as the format is the same for both men’s and women’s doubles competitions. These matches are also played as the best of three sets, only the third set is a championship tie-break instead of a full set. This is fairly common in doubles, and for those who don’t know, a championship tie-break is played to 10 points instead of 7. As for the draw size, a total of 4 teams will compete in both events. This makes a total of 8 players.

Semifinals Review

The Men’s wheelchair semifinals saw the world number 1 all-British duo Hewett/Reid reach their 7th consecutive Wimbledon finals. The Brits took a sweet revenge against the couple that beat them in the final last year and they beat Fernandez/De La Puente 7-5, 6-3.The other semifinal produced a mild surprise as the 2nd seed Gerard/Spaargaren lost 3-6, 4-6 against the Japanese Miki/Oda. Considering that the Japanese are ranked 3rd in the world in doubles this wasn’t such a major surprise.

The Women’s wheelchair semifinals saw the 2 seeded pairs progressing but the 1st seed Kamiji/Montjane needed to come from a set down to do so. The two had to show character to overcome the challenge of Ohtani/Zhu. Eventually they won the decisive 3rd set 6-3. The other semifinal was much more one-sided. The Dutch favourites De Groot/Griffionen breezed past Van Koot/Shuker with a 6-3, 6-2 win.

Finals Preview/Review

The Men’s wheelchair doubles saw Reid-Hewett winning their their 18th Grand Slam title in doubles in a very dramatic match vs the all-Japanese duo Miki/Oda. The Japanese won the first set 6-3, but then Hewett got enraged and he led his teammate Reid to 6-0, 6-3 wins in the next 2 sets. This 5th Wimbledon title in just the last 7 editions cemented Hewett/Reid as the best-ever wheelchair doubles pair.

In the Women’s wheelchair doubles the all-Dutch pair De Groot/Griffionen might be only 2nd seed but they are the big favourites. That said the world number 1 in doubles Kamiji and her new South African partner Montjane will surely fancy their chances to put up a fight. In any case, with Kamiji and De Groot also main rivals in singles this final promises to be exciting.

Quad Singles

Although the previous competitions have all been standard wheelchair events, a different tournament known as ‘quads’ is also played at Wimbledon. These are events reserved for players who have a disability relating to one of the upper limbs, not just the lower body. Given the additional restriction, it makes sense to have a separate tournament where those suffering from such a disability can compete against one another.

Despite the physical restrictions, however, quad singles are played in the same format as regular singles. And the draw size consists of 8 players too.

Semifinals Review

The semifinals of the Wimbledon wheelchair quad singles even produced one expected result and one major shock.

The world number 1 and main favourite Vink breezed past Ramphadi 6-1, 6-0 in a match that continued just over 30 minutes. Vink was way too good for the South African and her ability to hit winners has made her the most dominant quad athlete this year.

The script regarding an all-Dutch final was spoiled in the other semi where the unfancied Aussie Davidson beat the world number 2 Schroder 6-4, 2-6, 6-3. Davidson showed amazing character and will to win. At the same time, Schroder produced a very mediocre display and the combination of the two was why this upset happened.

Final Preview

The way things panned out Vink should lift this title with an easy win against the unseeded and vastly inexperienced Davidson. The Aussie will feel pretty tired too as he spent huge amount of energy in the semi. We can’t see past a straight set win for Vink in this final.

Quad Doubles

As you’ve no doubt guessed at this point, quad doubles follow the same match format mentioned earlier. To quickly remind you, this means each game is played as the best of three sets. Yet if the match goes to a deciding set, the players compete in a championship tie-break to 10 points. The draw size for this event is also 8 players, meaning that there are just 4 pairs involved.

Semifinals Review

The semifinals of the quads’ doubles didn’t produce surprises and the 2 seeded pairs Vink/Schroder and Davidson/Shaw progressed to the match for the title. Vink/Schroder dropped just 3 games to do so. Davidson/Shaw had to work much harder in set 1 of their match vs Slade/Wagner but after winning its tiebreak they then easily won the 2nd set 6-2.

Final Review

The final saw Vink/Schroder, the huge favourites, beat Davidson/Shaw 7-6 (5), 6-0. The first set was where this title was decided as the underdogs put up a great fight. Davidson/Shaw had 3 setpoints in set 1 but once they lost the tiebreak they simply gave up and the Dutch pair breezed for the rest of the match.

Wimbledon wheelchair events FAQs

Who is the most successful player in wheelchair singles events?

Looking back over the last 20 years, the retired now Japanese player, Shingo Kunieda has been the most successful player.

Who are the favourites to win the singles/doubles events at the 2023 Wimbledon?

For both the women’s singles and doubles, Diede De Groot is the definite favourite. As for the men, the Brit Alfie Hewett is the favourite once again. Also, the all-British duo Alfie Hewitt and Gordon Reid are favourites for the doubles. The quads are usually dominated by the Dutch duo Vink-Schroder.

Can I wager on wheelchair tennis for Wimbledon?

Yes, certain bookmakers in the UK do allow you to bet on wheelchair tennis.

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