Wayne Arnott has always loved tennis, but over the last decade he has had to learn a very different way of playing.
Twelve years ago, a blood clot in his left leg led to an amputation.
This was the start of his wheelchair tennis career.
He was encouraged to play this modified sport because he was already familiar with the styles.
But he had to lose his backhand in doubles and change the way he grips his racket.
And it was a big adjustment to deal with the approaching ball bouncing at different heights.
Wayne Arnott does a lot of upper body workouts to add power to his serve. (ABC News: Ali Colvin)
Ten years later, another clot tore his right leg.
He is now a wheelchair tennis champion, having won the national over-35 competition in Melbourne.
But back home in Perth, there weren’t enough local wheelchair competitions to challenge him.
So now, with the support of the Tennis West governing body, he is the first wheelchair athlete to compete in the able-bodied state pennant competition.
Changed rules
In wheelchair tennis, the rules are modified to allow the ball to bounce twice before a player returns.
In Mr. Arnott’s case, it’s a hybrid: he gets two rebounds, but his opponent has to return the ball after one.
This can be confusing – and the rules are not easily adapted to doubles matches – so for now Mr Arnott is limited to playing singles.
“It’s about trying to improve the game and make more and more people aware that wheelchair athletes are athletes just like any tennis player,” he said.
Wayne is allowed two rebounds on his side of the net, while his opponent is allowed one. (ABC News: Ali Colvin)
He has a Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) like all players around the world, which helps create fair matches.
And perhaps surprisingly, he can play not only on hard surfaces, but also on clay and grass.
Mr Arnott said he aimed for precision rather than power compared to other players, particularly when it came to serving.
“When you’re in a wheelchair, what a lot of players tend to do is give the ball more spin than actual power,”
he said.
Club Support
Mr Arnott’s club, Safety Bay, is delighted to have him on board.
He trains several times a week and competes in the Division 11 men’s competition on Saturdays, alongside and against able-bodied players.
Club president Terry Fraser said Mr Arnott had been well received and was a popular social tennis player.
“We’ve worked hard to be…inclusive over the years, and it’s just a feather in our cap that Wayne plays here,” he said.
Terry Fraser is the President of the Safety Bay Tennis Club. (ABC News: Ali Colvin)
“Wayne gets along well, he’s very friendly with people. I’ve never heard anyone complain about playing with him, he’s a strong player.”
Mr Arnott said his Pennants teammates also gave him their support.
“Even the people I play against, they’re all welcoming, no one comes up to me and says ‘I don’t want to play against a player in a wheelchair,'” he said.
“Because it is a new initiative, more and more people are trying to adopt it rather than oppose it.“
Tennis West CEO Olivia Birkett said the organization wanted to be the most inclusive sport in Western Australia.
“When we saw that Wayne needed to have a greater opportunity in a competitive playing landscape, we saw a very good reason for him to join our summer league competition,” she said.
Olivia Birkett wants to see more wheelchair athletes playing against able-bodied opponents. (ABC News: Ali Colvin)
“Not only has he brought home trophies, but he brings with that a level of understanding and compassion, I think, for people from all walks of life to come and play tennis.”
Aging infrastructure
But many tennis clubs in WA have infrastructure that is not wheelchair friendly.
Tennis West has developed a travel schedule for Mr Arnott’s team to ensure the clubs he visits during the season have the appropriate facilities.
“It’s a challenge with some of the aging infrastructure, it’s something that Tennis West works very closely with clubs, with local governments in particular, to seek funding to upgrade facilities,” Ms Birkett said.
Even Mr Arnott’s club is not fully accessible: it does not have disabled toilets.
Rockingham Council has committed $320,000 to renovate the toilets and make the club’s kitchen more accessible.
Mr Arnott said it would be great to see all clubs working towards more inclusive facilities.
Wayne Arnott says the response to his participation in the pennant competition has been positive. (ABC News: Ali Colvin)
“That’s the way we should go in the future anyway: make all clubs accessible, so if you want to play tennis you can go and hit anyone, no matter where they are,” he said.
Mr Arnott is reluctant to describe himself as a pioneer, saying he just wants to encourage everyone to get involved.
“There are a lot of people with disabilities in Washington state who don’t know you can play tennis,” he said.
“So if we can raise awareness that there are sports that people can play, whether it’s tennis, pickleball, paddleball, whatever, there are sports that people can play.”
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