A quick online search may tell one that tennis is a sport for the upper class. With its deep historical roots in European aristocracy, it is not hard to see why the sport became a hit amongst the uber wealthy.
Nowadays, anyone can play tennis on their local courts. Tennis Manitoba, the official governing body for the sport in Manitoba, aims to make the game more accessible and inclusive. Tennis Manitoba recently partnered with the Manitoba Wheelchair Sports Association to host a wheelchair tennis event on Oct. 18 and 25 at Sport Manitoba, 145 Pacific Avenue. Both events were scheduled to start at 9 a.m. and finish by 10:30 a.m.
Steve Dreger, Tennis Manitoba’s executive director, shared that the goal of the organization is to provide accessible tennis opportunities to all Manitobans.
“Tennis has always been or may have a stereotype as being an affluent sport,” he said. “Our goal is to break that barrier and make it more available and more approachable for Manitobans to play.” He emphasized that the purpose for these events is to encourage more participation from athletes in the wheelchair tennis community in the future. Dreger also shared that plans are underway for more regular events, which may begin as early as 2027.
The Oct. 18 game had Dreger attending alongside tennis coach Dave Muzyka. Jett Ethan Nguyen, a 16-year-old who represented Team Prairies at the U-16 level, also volunteered at the event.
Nguyen shared, “I decided to dedicate some of my time to show some wheelchair tennis players how to improve and learn a bit about tennis.” He also added that he would be present for the Oct. 25 game to “spread tennis awareness.”
Although the events have a registration fee of $20, Dreger insisted that if someone cannot pay the fee for any reason, he can potentially have it waived. For that exemption, people would have to reach out to him via his email, [email protected].
For those interested in other wheelchair sporting events, U of M Recreational Services plans to host a wheelchair basketball event at 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 7. The event will be open to all U of M students.
