I’ve just been to Turkey for my fifteenth World Team Cup – the wheelchair tennis version of the Davis Cup or Billie Jean Cup. It is the 40th edition of the event – and featured 44 teams from 20 nations across the men’s, women’s, quad and junior teams. This was the one chance in the year for all the best players to come together and showcase wheelchair tennis as we continue to push our sport to the next level.
Since I’ve been playing on the women’s team, we’ve won four bronze and three silver medals – and I’m always very proud to represent Team GB. This time we finished fourth and I enjoyed a personal highlight to help us reach the semi-finals. I was 0-4 down against Brazil’s Jade Lanai, having already lost the first set. But I battled back to win 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) – and then teamed up with Cornelia Oosthuizen to take the deciding rubber in the doubles.
Unfortunately it wasn’t to be against second-seeded Japan in the semi-finals. And this time we were pipped to bronze by France in the play-offs. But it was still a memorable occasion and a successful one for the British. Congratulations to the GB men’s and quad teams for winning bronze medals. The future is also bright with British juniors Ruben Harris, Lucas de Gouveia, Matt Knoesen and Will Barton winning gold by beating the USA in the final. Of course I’d love to see a British girl in the junior team at World Team Cup soon as well.
Over the past few months, I’ve also been in a good place with my tennis. I won three titles in the USA recently, including my first singles title since 2023 and 36th in all, this time at the Cougar Open in Houston with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over my compatriot Cornelia. Not bad for a 44-year-old!
A 91st doubles title was secured at the Cajun Classic in Baton Rouge alongside Aniek van Koot a few weeks earlier. We beat Japan’s Manami Tanaka and China’s Zhenzen Zhu to secure my first Super Series level title since 2019.
In between those two events came a memorable experience at the Miami Open Invitational. Aniek and I beat Colombia’s Angelica Bernal and Chile’s Macarena Cabrillana 6-3, 7-5. That gave us each an identical trophy to the one Ayrna Sabalenka lifted in Miami too. (You can see it in the photo here). The courts were fast and you get the feeling the wheelchair tournament in Miami is really going to take off in future, after an understandably cautious start from the organisers, who seem to want to make sure they have everything in place for us before expanding.
I came close to more success in the doubles in Japan not long after America, but it wasn’t to be, even though we had match point again in the final there against Zhu and Tanaka. Despite that frustration, I’m taking a lot of comfort from the overall process at the moment.
The Grand Slam before Wimbledon is of course Roland Garros. Unfortunately this year I have not qualified directly, the game is growing all the time and there has been some really exciting young talent coming through. Of course I would like one more shot on the red clay in Paris. If I were to be awarded a wild card to compete there, the plan would be to partner up with a French woman named Pauline Deroulede. That would make it especially fun to play, as the crowd would definitely be on our side!
But for now I’ll take nothing for granted and keep working hard to make the most of any chances that come my way.
Comments Off on Being Chosen as GB Flag Bearer Meant as much to me as my Paralympic Medals
Some incredible things have happened to me this summer – and for once the highlights have mostly taken place off the court.
But I know the amazing experiences I can talk about here wouldn’t have happened were it not for all the hard training and results achieved on court to reach this point in my career. And I was lucky enough to get some extraordinary rewards in 2024.
For example, at Wimbledon this summer when Laura Robson asked me if I would be around on the final Sunday. I made sure I was at the All England Club on the appointed day – and it transpired that I was part of an all-female line up, including players such as Emma Raducanu and Sonay Kartal, who had been asked to greet Catherine, Princess of Wales.
This was one of her first engagements since the announcement regarding her cancer. I have been fortunate to meet the Princess previously at Wimbledon – and she was as upbeat and interested in wheelchair tennis as the first time I met her. Kate has always loved tennis and on this occasion she brought her daughter, Princess Charlotte along too. It appears that Charlotte is also becoming a big fan of the game – which is fantastic.
I was talking to Charlotte and asked her whether she might one day care to see what it’s like to play wheelchair tennis. In fact I got her to make a “pinky promise” to that effect – and the amusing moment was captured on camera.
After being at Buckingham Palace earlier in the summer to celebrate my British Empire Medal – meeting Prince William, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie that day – here was another moment that I’ll surely savour for the rest of my life.
source Lucy Shuker FaceBook page
Then we were straight into the build-up for the Paralympics in Paris – and another great honour was just around the corner. It hadn’t ever crossed my mind really, until Erik Koers – who is our head of wheelchair tennis performance pathway – called to ask me if I would be happy to have my name put forward to be considered as a flagbearer at the opening ceremony. Erik later confirmed that I had been shortlisted but even then I didn’t think I stood much chance.
Paralympics GB is a phenomenal team and so many athletes have achieved so much at the Paralympic Games. There are an abundance of multi-Games athletes, world champions and gold medallists.
We travelled out to Paris ahead of the Games to train as a team in Saint Germain. It was here that Penny Briscoe – Paralympics GB Chef de Mission – surprised me at the end of one of my training sessions to give me the news that I had been chosen to carry the flag! Even when Penny came on court, I wasn’t expecting anything. I was just having a bit of banter with her before I realised they were filming and that Penny was wearing a microphone.
It was a huge surprise. I’m not ashamed to say there were tears – though I tried to fight them back. There are not many British athletes that have been given this honour in the history of the Paralympic Games. I just couldn’t believe I’d joined them. To say it was a massive honour is an understatement – not least because my fellow athletes in the Paralympics GB team had voted for me.
It was also amazing to share the experience with Terry Bywater, who was selected as the male flagbearer. Terry was making this his seventh Paralympic Games. (I think Sarah Storey had reached her ninth!)
I’d like to think that when someone is selected to carry the flag, people take into account not just your sporting achievements but how you conduct yourself off the court too.
Again, it’s worth emphasising this reality: if you don’t train hard and get good results, then you don’t go to the Paralympics and you can’t get into a position to be considered in the first place. I think for me this moment was really important because it is perhaps one of the first times in my career that I took a step back and really felt proud of all my achievements, so I am hugely grateful to Erik and Paralympics GB for affording me this moment.
The whole flag-bearing experience was amazing. We had photographs taken at the Arc de Triomphe – and the procession went down the Champs Elysees to the Place de la Concorde for the ceremony itself.
“Photo courtesy of ParalympicsGB”
I couldn’t help thinking how far I’d come from the young Lucy who just took up tennis for fun to help cope with the life-changing injuries I sustained in my accident all those years ago.
It was extra-special to spot my partner Amy in the crowd, because she’d had quite a stressful time changing flights and making sure she could be at the opening ceremony, which she hadn’t originally planned to attend.
On court when the action started I also had a couple of exciting experiences. Partnering for the first time with Abbie Breakwell, we got to play on Suzanne Lenglen court at Roland Garros. It housed a large crowd and that made for a great experience for everyone.
My first singles match was against a French player – and so again I was scheduled on a larger court. This time it was the sunken Court 14. It made for quite an atmosphere because there wasn’t a spare seat anywhere. Of course the crowd were predominantly cheering for my opponent, Charlotte Fairbank. Charlotte is a good friend on tour and has dual nationality – French and British. So this was extra hostile for me as even the Brits in the crowd appeared to be cheering for Charlotte. Every mistake I made was greeted with a cheer, along with every winner from her.
I was 0-3 down in the opening set – but fought back to win 6-4, 7-5. I was proud of the resilience I showed as it wasn’t an easy atmosphere to cope with, and in some other matches there were upsets, with French players being helped out by the crowds. Winning matches at Paralympic Games is tough and I am proud that I have at least won a match at every Games I have played at. Of course it was disappointing not to have pushed towards winning medals in Paris – that is the competitor in me.
Yet if I’m honest, being flag bearer at Paris 2024 meant as much to me as winning my Paralympic medals at previous Games. Of course, it meant everything to win those medals with Jordanne Whiley in years gone by – and become recognised together as one of the very best doubles pairings in the world. But the additional recognition of my qualities as a person puts the honour of being chosen as flag bearer on the same level.
“Photo courtesy of ParalympicsGB”
There was one last prestigious day to savour in this unforgettable Summer of ’24. Following the Paralympics in Paris, a number of Olympic and Paralympic athletes were invited to 10 Downing Street to celebrate Great Britain’s achievements with the Prime Minister. I was lucky enough to be one of them – and couldn’t resist a photograph by the iconic front door.
Sir Keir Starmer made a good speech. He had been at the Opening Ceremony in Paris. He praised the performances of all athletes – and I had a long conversation with Lisa Nandy. The government appeared very engaged in sport, fitness and the health of the nation. I hope that means good things for those with a disability and our sporting community too – and I think it will. Paralympics GB have recently launched an equal play initiative, calling for the UK government to ensure equal access to school sport and PE for all disabled children.
Well that’s it from me for now, I think it is safe to say there will never be a summer quite like 2024!
Comments Off on I’m no Billie Jean King but we’re making progress – Lucy Shuker BEM.
I’m currently Chair of the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Player Council, so I thought it might be interesting to give you a bit of insight.
I’m really enjoying my role. It has been an interesting experience engaging in conversations with the ITF about the future of our sport. Of course, there have been challenges. But I’m extremely passionate about leaving the sport in a better place than it was when I started playing.
Billie Jean King is a huge inspiration to many of us. She has been a pioneer for change within tennis for so many decades. In fact Billie is a huge supporter of wheelchair tennis – and can often be seen supporting players at the Grand Slams.
I’d like to think I’m doing my bit in my own way, along with a lot of other people who understand the issues we face in wheelchair tennis and the improvements that could and are being made.
One great recent development is that the size of the draws at Grand Slams has doubled from eight to sixteen for the men’s and women’s draws. This comprises of the top fourteen wheelchair tennis players who gain direct entry – plus two wild cards. The Quad division has also seen advancements with 16 draws at both the Australian and US Open. All of these changes are really positive and reflective of the increased depth and talent in wheelchair tennis.
This is something I’m extremely passionate about. Larger draw sizes at major events reflect the talent in our sport and give more players the opportunity to compete at the highest level.
The Grand Slams are hugely influential to wheelchair tennis. They have been very supportive in putting more money into the sport. Increasing prize money is a massive help. Hopefully that will have the added effect of attracting even more players into our sport.
On a basic level, that extra money can go towards players’ travel costs and helps their coaches or physios to attend tournaments abroad with them. It’s an expensive business.
Another big topic of conversation in many disability sports is classification. We have seen some recent changes in how players are classified. Now the International Tennis Federation have designated staff working on classification and gathering evidence to make good long-term decisions in that important area.
There are many opinions about classification in wheelchair tennis. There’s an ongoing debate about whether we make changes to the existing divisions. This could have the potential to grow the sport. At the moment, there’s a population of wheelchair users who have a disability similar to mine and don’t choose to pursue wheelchair tennis – because of the perceived difficulty competing against players that are much more able than them.
I’m really passionate about this. I love tennis, it’s such an amazing sport and has given me so much. I would love to see more spinal cord injured players coming into the sport. And if that means making adjustments, then I can only see that as a positive thing.
Any far-reaching decisions in wheelchair tennis tend to be made at the end of each four-year cycle, marked by the Paralympics. So at the end of this year there may or may not be some changes.
As you can probably tell, I enjoy advocating for change and working with the decision-makers to see those changes come about wherever possible. That way I can help keep things moving in a progressive direction for future generations of players.
I’m coming towards the end of my career. And when I finally stop playing, I’d like to stay involved in tennis in some way. What the sport has given me has been life-changing – and I’d like to be able to continue to give something back.
I’m grateful for all that wheelchair tennis has allowed me to achieve. And that British Empire Medal I mentioned in my last blog – which made me feel so honoured and humbled – will give me a very special day in May. I’ve been invited to Buckingham Palace for a garden party with other recipients. That’s part of the recognition for my services to sport. I can still remember the excitement I felt when I received a letter in the post informing me of the award.
Soon after that garden party, I’ll be in a long string of tournaments that all lead to Paris for the Paralympics if all goes well. What a summer lies ahead! And I’ll try to enjoy every moment and share it all with you.
Comments Off on 2024 will be a year to remember for Lucy Shuker BEM.
This year is already a very special one for me, and I’m delighted to be sharing my 2024 with you after renewing my partnership with WDH.
I’ve had a good start – and I’m feeling fit and healthy. I already feel like I’m moving well and hitting the ball sweetly. I put in a lot of hard work in the off season and I think my new RGK chair set up has also really helped me to continue to push the boundaries of what is possible with my disability.
I achieved some good wins in Australia. And even if the draw at the Grand Slam event didn’t go my way, I returned from Down Under feeling good about what lies ahead. I think that confidence was reflected again last week in an encouraging win in Rotterdam against France’s Pauline Deroulede by coming back 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the singles semis at the ABN AMRO Open. I lost to Pauline a few times last year so it was good to get the win.
It’s all part of a bigger picture in a way, because this is Paralympics year. If I make it to Paris 2024 it will be my fifth successive Paralympic Games. I think this record is one of the reasons why I was the proud recipient of a British Empire Medal for services to sport. It is such an honour and so humbling. It’s been a long journey and sometimes I allow myself to think: ‘Not bad for a girl who broke her back at the age of 21.’
My first Paralympics was Beijing back in 2008. Then at London 2012 I was lucky enough to win the first Paralympic medal for Great Britain in women’s wheelchair tennis, along with Jordanne Whiley in the doubles.
We won bronze again at Rio 2016. And then we went one better by taking the silver in Tokyo, the best a British women’s pairing has achieved. It was also the first time the same partnership had been on the podium at three successive games.
Jordanne has retired now. That means I’ll be teaming up with a new partner for the Paralympics in Paris this summer. There are a number of GB women in the mix. Cornelia Oosthuizen is a player that has come through the Invictus Games route to our sport. She brings a lot of experience – and it’s always fun to be on court with her.
Younger players are coming through too. Both Abbie Breakwell and Ruby Bishop are contenders for the Paralympics – and it’s been exciting to see them competing at bigger tournaments.
All I can say is this: if I make it to Paris, I’ll be just as proud as I was for my first Paralympics sixteen years ago. I’m patriotic – I think you’ve got to be when you represent your country.
Sir Andy Murray is on record saying that his Olympic golds gave him more satisfaction than any other victories, Carlos Alcaraz is already talking about how much he would love to win a gold for Spain at Paris 2024. The Olympics and Paralympics are important to us players.
It’s also fantastic to think I could get a chance to play on Philippe Chatrier or Suzanne Lenglen at the Paralympics. Those iconic show courts offer a wonderful stage for anyone lucky enough to play on them.
Of course, there will be a huge event in Paris before that. Roland Garros will take place in June. Qualifying for the Grand Slams is always a big target for me. They are special events to be at with the best players in the world. The beautiful clay of Roland Garros is always a challenge – but it isn’t as hard to move a wheelchair around on as the grass of Wimbledon.
It’s always special to play at my home Grand Slam in front of supportive crowds, though. And this year Wimbledon has increased the draw sizes for wheelchair tennis from 8 players to 16. This is happening in both the men’s and women’s divisions – and that’s another monumental step forward for our game. It’s also testament to the strength and depth of our sport – and I’ll talk more about that next time.
All this leads to the Paralympics at the end of August – and the chance to go for more medals. I’ll be doing everything I can to make that happen. And however the year unfolds, I want to enjoy 2024.
I’m looking forward to what lies ahead – and I hope WDH and its regular blog readers are too.
That’s all for now. Next time I’ll give you a glimpse into some of the issues and developments off the court. And they’re pretty interesting too! Love, Lucy
We had the pleasure of having a catch up with Lucy Shuker. She filled us in on all the action this year’s US Open Grand Slam in
New York.
Read Lucy’s update below
Us Open
This year was my fourth appearance at the US Open and another opportunity to try and get my first win in New York City.
For Men’s and Women’s Wheelchair Tennis players, it’s only the top 7 in the world that earn direct qualification into the event. With the 8th place being awarded to a tournament wildcard. Grand Slam events are effectively Masters competitions for wheelchair tennis players and you have to remind yourself that simply qualifying is a great achievement.
The Result
As a competitor, we are all there for the same thing – to win. With no easy draws and just the top players in the world you know you have to bring your A game to get anywhere. This year I drew current World No.5 KG Montjane from South Africa. I have had mixed results with her over the last 12 months or so. I knew I had the game to beat her, but I also knew that KG was a strong player and it would be a close fight and that it was. Unfortunately, it ended with a 6-4 6-4 defeat for me.
It was difficult and disappointing three weeks of competition with some tough losses in both singles and doubles events. Tennis is undoubtedly a sport which has many ups and downs and I’ve definitely encountered my fair share of these throughout my career. I love tennis and this in a way is what I love most about the game. The problem solving, the continual challenge of the game, of my disability and of my opponents.
Reflection
I have a great team behind me and I know I can put these weeks to the back of my mind and move on. They don’t define me as a tennis player and I will always keep fighting and working hard to create new opportunities for myself.
The US Open was a fantastic event to be part of. The USTA did a great job at increasing exposure of wheelchair tennis and of individual players. Several matches were scheduled on Arthur Ashe, Louis Armstrong and other show courts with international TV coverage and live streaming.
They also produced a fantastic series of videos in partnership with Deloitt. You can check out the feature about me including why you should watch wheelchair tennis here– https://youtu.be/jmwmzgNkVBM
Comments Off on WDH announce continued sponsorship of Paralympic medalist, Lucy Shuker, for 2017
We at WimbledonDebentureHolders.com (WDH) are delighted to announce our continued sponsorship of Paralympic wheelchair tennis medallist, Lucy Shuker, for 2017. Lucy is, without a doubt, one of the most inspirational women we have the privilege to know and we thought it only fitting to make this announcement on International Women’s Day 2017.
Lucy demonstrates the values enshrined in International Women’s Day and we would like to celebrate her achievements today.
Lucy returned from the Rio Paralympics with another Bronze medal to add to one she won in London 2012.
Following a gruelling schedule of training and tournaments around the world, Lucy has secured International titles in both singles and doubles throughout 2016/17. Her sights are now firmly set on more success as she begins her journey to Tokyo Paralympics with the hope of more medals. We are also looking forward to watching her at Wimbledon this year and have high hopes of her bringing home some silverware! No pressure Lucy!
In addition to her sporting achievements, Lucy is an inspiration to many and is passionate about helping build the profile of disability sport around the world. As an accomplished motivational speaker Lucy has inspired Schools, Colleges and the Corporate world.
Lucy Shuker has galvanised us to support the International Women’s Day theme #BeBoldForChange and we at WDH are proud to be associated with her.
Comments Off on Lucy Shuker Paralympic tennis star at the Bolton Indoors Arena 2017
On 22nd February, I travelled over to the bleak and drizzly Bolton Indoors Arena on behalf of the Wimbledon Debenture Holders team, to watch our fantastic wheelchair tennis player, three time Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Player and Double Paralympic Bronze Medallist, Lucy Shuker.
Upon arrival into the arena, I was instantly in admiration of all the players taking part in the tournament – it was hard to decide which match to watch with so much going on around me!
I was advised Lucy was playing on Court 5 and had just won the first set, so naturally I head straight up to the viewing balcony in anticipation of seeing Lucy play.
Watching the wheelchair tennis in person made me appreciate the sport more so than when I have watched it previously on TV, Lucy’s serves were so strong and the speed the players move in their chairs left me not wanting to take my eyes of the match!
Lucy earned a 6-1, 6-1 victory over fellow Brit Lauren Jones, to set up a meeting with British No.3 Louise Hunt on the third day of the tournament.
Following the match I met up with Lucy and Amy (Lucy’s Manager), to have a good chat over a cup of tea whilst watching some more of the matches – I also learnt some interesting facts about wheelchair tennis, one being the ball may bounce up to two times and the second bounce may also occur outside the court – as I questioned Amy about the out of court bounces I witnessed!
We spoke about Lucy’s achievements in the Australian Open, her planned successes in Tokyo, raising awareness of disability sport, and of course her number one fan, Johnny Vegas!
Lucy went on to achieve a doubles win in the final alongside Marjolein Buis and was the singles runner up – well done Lucy!
Lucy is an inspiration to many and is passionate about helping build the profile of disability sport around the world. With her sights firmly set on more success Lucy will now begin her journey to Tokyo with the hope of more medals.
WimbledonDebentureHolders.com are very proud to sponsor such a inspirational lady and look forward to following and sharing her successes throughout 2017.
Watching the tennis made me even more excited that Wimbledon 2017 is just around the corner… if you’re interested in purchasing tickets for the championships please contact our team: http://www.wimbledondebentureholders.com/contact
