Israel's Paralympic Tennis Stars Shine in Paris

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, the iconic venue in Paris, France, that is currently hosting the Paralympics.

Due to the Paralympic Games, there will be no men's, women's, or quads wheelchair tennis events at this year's US Open Tennis Championships. This scheduling conflict occurs every four years when the Paralympics overlaps with the US Open. However, the junior wheelchair tennis tournament will still take place as planned at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.

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Israel is represented by four talented athletes in the wheelchair tennis competition, which began on Friday and will continue through September 7 on the clay courts of Stade Roland Garros, the same courts where Sasson recently claimed the French Open quads title. The Israeli players have already made a strong start.

Adam Berdichevsky, 40, who began playing wheelchair tennis after losing his leg in a boating accident in 2007, secured a 6-2, 7-5 victory against Italy's Luca Arca. This was Berdichevsky’s first singles win at the Paralympics, having made his debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

"The experience of representing my country and winning in front of such a supportive crowd was incredible," Berdichevsky said. "It felt like playing at home, and I’m thrilled to bring some joy during these challenging times."

Earlier in the week, Berdichevsky had the honor of serving as Israel's flag bearer during the opening ceremony. Reflecting on this experience, he said, “Carrying the flag and leading the Israeli team was an amazing experience—something I'll never forget.” He is set to face Chile’s Alexander Cataldo in the second round.

Sergei Lysov, 20, who moved to Israel from Russia in 2019 and was diagnosed with Perthes’ disease at age 9, also made an impressive debut by defeating Brayan Tapia of Chile 7-5, 6-1. Lysov, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 17 earlier this month, advanced to the second round but faced a tough match against the tournament’s No. 1 seed, Alfie Hewett of Great Britain, who defeated him 6-0, 6-1.

On Saturday, Guy Sasson, the No. 3 seed in the tournament and the recent Roland Garros quad singles champion, won his first-round match against Francisco Cayulef of Chile with a score of 6-2, 6-3. He then progressed to the semifinals after a convincing 6-1, 6-2 victory over Gregory Slade from Great Britain.

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“Playing in such a grand stadium with so many fans was an incredible experience,” Sasson said. “My success at Roland Garros earlier this year gave me a lot of confidence, and it feels great to be back on these courts.”

Maayan Zikri, the sole female athlete on the Israeli team, won her first-round match against Najwa Awane of Morocco with a score of 6-3, 6-2.

This year marks the ninth time that wheelchair tennis has been featured at the Summer Paralympic Games. The sport was first introduced as a full-medal event at the Barcelona 1992 Games and has been a regular feature since then. The tournament in Paris includes 95 players from 28 nations, with matches played on outdoor clay courts. The courts at Stade Roland Garros, including the famous Philippe Chatrier and Suzanne Lenglen courts, are equipped with 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 all part of the center in Ramat Gan.

"Having four wheelchair tennis players from our center compete at the Paralympic Games is a dream come true," Kramer said. "We've spent nearly a decade developing a unique tennis program that honors our center's long-standing tradition of wheelchair tennis excellence."

Berdichevsky, who survived the October 7 Hamas invasion at Kibbutz Nir Yitzchak by sheltering in a safe room with his family for 14 hours, shared his story of resilience. The family later relocated to Eilat for two months and even spent six months in Houston, Texas, thanks to the support of the local Jewish community, before returning to Israel.

Sasson, who has been living in Houston as part of his wife’s medical training, emphasized the significance of representing Israel at this critical time. “It’s more than just tennis,” he said. “Representing Israel, especially now, carries a lot of meaning.”

Roni Bolotin, a former Paralympic swimmer and head of the Israeli delegation, highlighted the unique role and responsibility of the athletes this year. "In these special times for Israel, our athletes serve as role models for those newly disabled from recent conflicts," he said. "Sport can be the best tool for rehabilitation and living a full, rewarding life."

Despite their absence from the US Open, some wheelchair tennis players participating in the Paralympics will still receive compensation from the US Open, thanks to grants provided by the United States Tennis Association (USTA).