News Japanese players are too strong in wheelchair tennis. Introducing sponsors and rules again [Tennis]

The rules of wheelchair tennis are almost the same as regular tennis

Shingo Kunieda and Yui Kamiji, who have many achievements in wheelchair tennis competitions (Photo: Takeo Tanuma)

At the recent Tokyo Paralympics, both men and women from Japan achieved excellent results in wheelchair tennis. It's getting more attention than ever before. It introduces the rules and categories of wheelchair tennis, the backgrounds and sponsors of wheelchair tennis stars, and more. [Image] Shingo Kunieda, who looked a little tired while eating because of the series of matches, the rules of wheelchair tennis are not so different from those of ordinary tennis that we are used to seeing. There are two main differences between the rules. (1) The general rule is that the ball must be returned within one bounce, but wheelchair tennis allows up to two bounces. If the first bounce is inside the court, the second bounce can be outside the court. (2) The server must stand still before the serve, but only the server can push the wheelchair once. Manipulation is also important. Shingo Kunieda (Uniqlo, world No. 1), who recently won a gold medal at the Olympics, was obsessed with playing basketball in a wheelchair with his able-bodied children when he was a child. It is said that The wheelchair tennis category has junior divisions for both men and women, just like regular tennis. In this category, taping the racquet to the hand is permitted. In addition, thorough care is provided for physical condition management. ●There are many sponsor companies that support wheelchair tennis players! Kunieda and Uechi's sponsors!? Wheelchair tennis players are supported by many sponsors. In 2009, UNIQLO, which has sponsored numerous tennis players, signed a contract with wheelchair tennis player Kunieda as its first UNIQLO Global Brand Ambassador. Kei Nishikori (Nissin Foods / 54th place) started sponsoring in 2011, so Kunieda signed the contract earlier. Uniqlo, Honda, BNY Mellon (Bank of New York Mellon), ANA (All Nippon Airways), NEC, etc. support Kunieda's activities as sponsors. Other tennis-related contracts include Yonex and IMG, the same as Naomi Osaka (Nissin Foods / 5th place). Yui Kamiji (Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation / No. 2 in the world), who was born with a disability, started playing wheelchair tennis at the age of 11. For Kamiji, the first sponsor was a gas company in Kobe called Simes, where her mother worked. Currently, Uechi belongs to Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. JAL (Japan Airlines), Coca-Cola, and Airweave also support Uechi's activities. In terms of tennis, he has contracts with FILA and Dunlop. There are also companies that support the development of the sport as a whole, such as wheelchair tennis. For example, NEC has announced that it will continue its sponsorship agreement for the "NEC Wheelchair Singles Masters" and the "UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour" sponsored by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), which it has signed since 1994, for three years from 2021 to 2023. . UNIQLO has been supporting Kunieda since he turned professional in 2009. Fast Retailing, which owns Uniqlo, has announced that it will give Kunieda a special reward of 100 million yen for his performance at the Tokyo Paralympics. The company also plans to support children who aim to become parasports in the future. Novak Djokovic (Serbia/1st place), the world champion in general men's tennis, missed the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. As a result, the dream of achieving the "Golden Grand Slam", which is the addition of the Olympic victory to the four major tournaments, which are the annual grand slams, came to an end. Djokovic will naturally aim for the Paris Olympics, but Kunieda is still in a position to aim for this Golden Slam. Japan has world-class players. It is hoped that the Tokyo Paralympics will lead to further development of wheelchair tennis.

Yuzuka Yamane