Competitions & Eligibility


Eligibility

The rules state that for national and international deaf tennis competitions a player must have an average hearing loss of 55 decibels or more in their best ear.

In all such competitions all players must remove their hearing aids before play starts.

This is to provide an equal platform for all players with differing degrees of deafness. These rules are as laid down by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD).

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Rankings and Ratings

An international ranking system has been introduced, by ICSD, which is continually being developed. This takes into account results from selected national and international championships and tournaments.

All deaf players are encouraged to have an LTA rating, and many play at Club and County level against hearing players. The National Deaf Tennis Championships is an event graded by the LTA, where points are earned towards a players LTA Rating, providing both players have a rating.

 
Deaf Tennis Competitions


National Competitions

The Tennis Foundation organises the annual National Deaf Tennis Championships in partnership with the British Deaf Tennis Association.

The 2011 National Deaf Tennis Championships were held at Gosling International High Performance Centre, Welwyn Garden City from April 31st - May 2nd. There was also a Mini Orange U12 Competition which took place.

Bethany Brookes


Surrey’s Bethany Brookes followed in her mother Fiona’s footsteps to win the Women’s Singles title at the 2011 National Deaf Tennis Championships.

Results from the 2011 Championsihps available here
Results from the 2010 Championships available here 

International Competitions
 
Deaflympics 2009 - Taipei
Great Britain Tennis Squad, 21st Summer Deaflympics, Taipei

  
Anthony Sinclair and Catherine Graham made a superb piece of British sporting history by winning  the gold in the mixed doubles final at the Deaflympics in Taipei. Victory for Sinclair and Graham also secured Britain's first Deaflympics mixed doubles gold medal for more than 50 years.



To read more about the tennis players that represented Great Britain at the 2009 Deaflympics in Taipei, please click here.

Daily GB news and results updates - 21st Summer Deaflympics, Taipei:



Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Final Day

The 22nd Summer Deaflympic Games will take place in Athens, Greece in 2013.

The Dresse & Maere Cups

These are the Davis and Fed Cups of Deaf tennis, they take place on a four-year cycle, as does the European Deaf Tennis Championships.

In addition to the major international championships, British teams periodically compete in additional selected 'Open' International tournaments overseas, such as the Swiss Deaf Open and the British Deaf Open. The British Deaf Open has been staged in 1999, 2002 and 2006.

Did you know?

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Deaf Tennis featured at The Championships, Wimbledon in 2004, when four members of the GB National Deaf Tennis Squad played a Men's Doubles exhibition on Court 14.

"To experience the buzz of playing at Wimbledon was and will always be one of my fondest memories. It was an honour to play there and also a weird feeling in the sense that it was the first Deaf Tennis exhibition match at Wimbledon."

Lewis Fletcher
GB National Deaf Squad.

What has been your proudest moment as a player?

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"Representing my country at such a young age was a great honour and to play for GB continues to be a real thrill. On another level, I was most proud of myself after winning the British Open final in 2002 from a set, 5-1 down and seven match points down against a player who was then British No 1."

Catherine Graham
Four-time National Deaf Women's Singles champion and Deaflympics medallist.

Visit Lewis and Catherine's website - Tennis Xperience UK