Brad Parks: The Man Who Invented Wheelchair Tennis

Fifty years ago, Brad Parks, then an 18-year-old American, invented wheelchair tennis after being paralyzed in a freestyle skiing accident. What began as a casual hit on a park court in Indiana evolved into a sport now contested at Grand Slams and the Paralympics.

Parks had been watching his relatives play tennis at a family picnic when he decided to try hitting balls from his hospital wheelchair. Despite limited mobility, he was determined to adapt the game so he could play with able-bodied friends.

How It All Started

After his spinal cord injury in 1976, Parks was encouraged to take up wheelchair basketball, but tennis was his passion. He began playing daily against able-bodied opponents, initially experimenting with rules. A key breakthrough came when he met physiotherapist Jeff Minnebraker, who had also been exploring wheelchair tennis.

• Brad Parks was paralyzed in a freestyle skiing accident in 1976.
• He had his 'lightbulb moment' while watching family play tennis at a picnic.
• He started hitting balls in a hospital wheelchair.
• He met Jeff Minnebraker, a physiotherapist also working on wheelchair tennis.
• The two experimented with court size, ball type, and net height.

In the early days, Parks also befriended actor Gene Wilder, best known as Willy Wonka, and played tennis with him. The friendship is one of many colorful details in the sport's origin story.

Today, wheelchair tennis is a staple of the Paralympic Games and features in all four Grand Slam tournaments. Parks' invention has given thousands of athletes the chance to compete at the highest level.