Wheelchair Tennis Star Expresses Gratitude Towards Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray For Their Support

British wheelchair tennis player Anthony Lapthorne has thanked Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic for encouraging disabled professionals and promoting their sport. However, he voiced his misgivings over the manner in which events are being organized for players of his kind.

When Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic spoke up for quad tennis players

Lapthorne led the chorus of voices, which eventually forced organizers of the US Open 2020 to include wheelchair events at the Grand Slam.

Speaking at a BBC podcast, Lapthorne claimed events for disabled professionals have been left to the whims and fancies of officials “who don’t have a clue about disability and don’t ask us questions.”

How Murray and Djokovic got US Open organizers to bend on quad players

He said the disabled, who are professional tennis players, are often put on the same level of competition as juniors and legends, which doesn’t attract prize money.

Read More: “Truly an Inspiration For Me”: Novak Djokovic Pays Tribute to Wheelchair Tennis Players at US Open 2020

“The top eight, men, women and quad players are full-time professional wheelchair tennis players, but we are put in the same bracket as juniors, who don’t get prize money, and with legends who are retired and playing exhibition tennis, and even getting compared to beach tennis,” Lapthorne said.

He said it was largely down to encouragement received from Murray and Djokovic that helped the wheelchair players showcase their sport to the tennis world.

“It felt like a massive step backwards, but we had great support from the likes of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic and at the end of the day we went out there and proved we are a part of the tennis community,”  Lapthorne said.

Quad star Dylan Alcott also thanked Murray and Djokovic

The US Open organizers had initially left the quad players out of competition this year before Murray and Djokovic spoke up for them and forced the tournament officials to rethink their decision.

Dylan Alcott, a ten-time Grand Slam quad singles champion, too, recently thanked Murray and Djokovic and Roger Federer for standing up to the US Open organizers against their decision to keep the wheelchair players out of the competition.

The decision drew howls of protest from the tennis world, and even British Paralympic champion Gordon Reid and the International Paralympic Committee spoke up for the quad players.