Wimbledon 2026 has been a landmark week for British wheelchair tennis, with Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid claiming their seventh SW19 doubles title together while Hewett also battled through to the men's singles final. The excitement has sparked a wave of fan curiosity about the sport itself, and BBC Sport's expert pundits, former professionals Jayant Mistry and Louise Hunt Skelley, stepped in to address the most common questions.
One of the biggest points of confusion is the distinction between the Open and Quad divisions. The Open category covers athletes whose impairments affect their lower limbs, while the Quad division is designed for competitors dealing with impairments in three or more limbs, including reduced arm or hand function. That extra challenge in the upper body makes racquet control and shot-making considerably harder.
On serve speeds, the numbers are surprisingly impressive. Japan's Tokito Oda holds the fastest wheelchair serve in the men's game, peaking around 112mph. Legend Diede de Groot tops the women's division at roughly 90mph. Quad players typically serve between 55-90mph for men and 50-80mph for women, with wider variation due to differing levels of upper-limb ability.
Prize money remains a hot topic. The gap with the non-wheelchair game largely comes down to draw sizes, fewer rounds mean a smaller overall prize pool. Pundits note it remains among the highest prize money in disability sport globally and continues to grow year on year.
As for Hawk-Eye, it tracks the ball regardless of whether competitors are standing or in a wheelchair, making it arguably even more reliable in wheelchair tennis than traditional line judging.
TennisDraw users following the wheelchair draws this fortnight have been closely watching Hewett's remarkable run deep into the singles bracket.
