CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW)- The United States Tennis Association has awarded a local tennis organization a grant to help continue operation of its thriving Wheelchair Tennis Program. 

The Piedmont Area Tennis Association operates one of the premier Wheelchair Tennis Programs in the nation.  It runs tournaments, camps, and supervises court time for disabled athletes to hone their skills and enjoy the game they love together.  The association hosts adaptive tennis events as well, allowing any disabled players, wheelchair not mandatory, to share the court.   

“Everyone’s united on the court, it doesn’t matter if you’re in a wheelchair or you’re standing up and playing, it brings everyone together,” Alex de Montbel, Executive Director of PATA told Cville Right Now. “It’s been inspiring to say everyone play and have fun, just accept each other on the court.” 

PATA’s camp, typically hosted in August at Boar’s Head Resort, allows players to learn and work together while being coached by one of the most decorated athletes in the sport, David Wagner.  Wagner is a former world number one in wheelchair tennis, an eight-time paralympic gold medalist and a three-time winner of the US and Australian open in singles play. Based on his trophy cabinet alone, when considering both able-bodied and disabled athletes, Wagner is the most-decorated male tennis player in the United States.  

PATA also hosts a yearly tournament at Boar’s Head, hosting athletes from around the country. 

Wheelchair tennis is played the exact same way as the able-bodied game, save for one extra allowed bounce of the ball before a player must hit it. 

De Montbel says the grant will help with hotel and lodging out-of-town players looking to participate in the camp and tournaments, prize packages for the events, but the expense is court time itself. 

“Having those courts to play on, especially the ones that are accessible, since not every facility is accessible, having access to that is huge.”  

Information on PATA and its events can be found at Patatennis.org