The world’s top wheelchair athletes, including four Israeli players—Adam Berdichevsky, Guy Sasson, Sergei Lysov, and Maayan Zikri—are competing fiercely at Stade Roland Garros.
This year, there are no men’s, women’s, or quads wheelchair tennis events at the US Open Tennis Championships, and for a good reason: the best wheelchair tennis players in the world are currently in Paris, competing for their countries at the Paralympics.
The Paralympic wheelchair tennis tournament, which takes place every four years, often conflicts with the US Open. However, the juniors’ wheelchair tournament will still be held at the US Open in New York at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center as planned.
Representing Israel in the Paralympic wheelchair tennis event, which kicked off on Friday and runs through September 7, are four athletes who have already made a strong impression. They are playing on the iconic courts of Stade Roland Garros, home of the French Open, where Sasson recently clinched the French Open quads title.
On Friday, Adam Berdichevsky, 40, who began playing wheelchair tennis after losing a leg in a boating accident in 2007, defeated Italy’s Luca Arca 6-2, 7-5. This victory marked Berdichevsky’s first singles win at the Paralympics, following his debut at Tokyo 2020. Reflecting on his experience, Berdichevsky said, “I cannot express how much it meant to represent my country. Playing in front of such a supportive crowd felt like being at home—it was truly special. I’m glad I could bring some joy during tough times.” Berdichevsky also had the honor of serving as the Israeli delegation’s flag bearer, adding, “Carrying the flag with the whole Israel team was amazing—everyone saw me on TV.”
Also on Friday, Sergei Lysov, 20, who was diagnosed with Perthes’ disease at age 9 and immigrated to Israel from Russia in 2019, made a strong Paralympic debut by defeating Chile’s Brayan Tapia 7-5, 6-1. Lysov, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 17 earlier this month, faced a tough challenge in the second round against the tournament’s top seed, Alfie Hewett of Great Britain, a 9-time Grand Slam singles champion and 3-time Roland Garros singles champion. Hewett won the match decisively, 6-0, 6-1.
On Saturday, Guy Sasson, the Roland Garros quad singles champion and the tournament’s No. 3 seed, won his first-round match against Francisco Cayulef of Chile 6-2, 6-3, advancing to the quarterfinals. He then defeated Great Britain’s Gregory Slade 6-1, 6-2 on Monday, securing a spot in the semifinals. Reflecting on the experience, Sasson said, “Playing in such a great stadium with so many fans was an incredible atmosphere. Winning Roland Garros two months ago gave me a lot of confidence, and I love playing on the clay here. It’s a great step toward the Paralympics.”
Maayan Zikri, the only female member of the Israeli team, won her first-round match against Najwa Awane of Morocco 6-3, 6-2.
This is the ninth year that wheelchair tennis has been featured at the Summer Paralympic Games. The sport made its full-medal debut at Barcelona 1992 after a demonstration event at Seoul 1988. Since 1992, men’s and women’s singles events have been held at every Paralympic Games, with quad singles and doubles events being added in Athens 2004.
The tournament features 95 players from 28 nations, with singles matches played as best-of-three tie-break sets and doubles matches using a match tie-break as the final set. This is the second time the Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Event is being held on outdoor clay courts, following its debut on clay at Barcelona 1992. Stade Roland Garros’ Court Philippe Chatrier and Court Suzanne Lenglen, where the matches are held, both have retractable roofs to accommodate inclement weather.
Boaz Kramer, Executive Director of the Israel ParaSport Center and a silver medalist in mixed doubles quads at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, expressed pride in the four tennis players and Nadav Levi, a boccia player, who are part of their center in Ramat Gan. “To have four wheelchair tennis players from the Israel ParaSport Center in the Paralympic Games is a dream come true. We’ve worked for almost a decade to develop a unique tennis program that honors our long legacy of wheelchair tennis excellence. Seeing Adam as the flag bearer in the opening ceremony was an emotional moment for all of us.”
Some wheelchair tennis players who are participating in the Paralympics will receive compensation from the US Open despite not attending. According to the USTA, players who would have gained direct entry into the US Open have received grants equivalent to prize money. A total of $6,244,000 has been set aside for wheelchair tennis grants, player per diems, and hotel payments, with the overall prize fund for the US Open totaling $75,000,000.
