League: ATP Sport: Tennis Country: Global Category: Injuries

Brad Parks pioneers wheelchair tennis from a picnic idea

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 7, 2026, 6:39 AM

Last updated Jul 7, 2026

Brad Parks pioneers wheelchair tennis from a picnic idea

Summary

Brad Parks invented wheelchair tennis 50 years ago during a family picnic in Indiana. After a skiing accident left him paralyzed, Parks sought a way to play tennis despite challenges accessing courts. He experimented with rules alongside physiotherapist Jeff Minnebraker and held the first wheelchair tennis event in 1977 in Irvine, California. Parks' innovations, including allowing two bounces, shaped the sport's early development.

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Status Watch

•Parks conceived the sport while watching tennis from a wheelchair.
•He played his first match shortly after his injury in 1976.
•Parks collaborated with Jeff Minnebraker to establish rules for wheelchair tennis.
•The inaugural event took place in 1977 in Irvine, California.
•Parks' adaptations remain integral to wheelchair tennis today.

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