GB disability teams
We support programmes for Learning Disability, Deaf and Visually Impaired Tennis – giving more players the chance to represent their country on the international stage.
We want to help you fulfil your potential and are always on the look out for the next great champions.
If you’re a coach and one of your players is showing promising talent, you can get in touch with us at disabilitytennis@lta.org.uk. Following an assessment, we will recommend the best route for player development, whether it’s through our development squads or even competing for Great Britain!
All three of our programmes are there to help you develop your skills in a performance environment. These include professional coaching, personal development, camps and more.
Selected GB players get the opportunity to compete internationally at annual events, representing Great Britain at the:
- World Championships (Deaf, LD and VI players)
- European Championships (Deaf and LD)
- Deaflympics (Deaf players)
- Virtus Global Games (LD players)
Our Deaf Programme consists of a development and national squad. Once players are selected into either squad, they are invited to attend four camps per year to support progression with the potential of participation at their relevant international event. Players will also receive benefits relating to this programme such as coaching, development support and expense claims.
How to get in the team
Players are selected through a performance day, from which squads will be decided for the following year.
Please view our selection policy here.
Achievements
2023 Australian Open Deaf and Hard of Hearing Finals
- Runner-Up: Phoebe Suthers: Women's Singles
- Runner-Up: Phoebe Suthers: Women's Doubles
2019 World Deaf Tennis Championships:
- Gold: Esah Hayat & Phoebe Suthers: Junior Mixed Doubles
- Silver: Lewis Fletcher & Esah Hayat: Men’s Doubles
- Silver: Lewis Fletcher & Phoebe Suthers: Mixed Doubles
- Silver: Esah Hayat: Boys’ Singles
- Bronze: Phoebe Suthers: Girls’ Singles
2022 Open Deaf Youth Tennis Cup
- Gold: Charlie Denton & Ethan Carter: Boys Doubles
- Silver: Nathan Carmody & Partner: Boys Doubles
- Bronze: Charlie Denton: Boys Singles
Events
- Deaflympics
- World Deaf Championships - World Deaf Tennis Championships & World Deaf Youth Tennis Championships, 23 - 30 September 2023, Crete (Greece)
- European Championships
2019 World Deaf Tennis Championships Gold & Silver medallist, Esah Hayat – “I have made many friends around the world from tennis, both at tournaments and at my tennis clubs. Playing on the tennis team has provided a whole new branch of my life at university too, and on the whole, has given me a wide range of experiences that I would never have had otherwise.”
Our Visually Impaired Programme consists of one national squad of up to 16 players. Once in the squad, players will be in contention to be selected to represent Great Britain at the Blind Tennis International Tournament. Once players are selected into the squad, they are invited to attend four camps per year. Players will also receive benefits relating to this programme such as coaching, development support and expense claims.
How to get in the team
Players are chosen through a selection day, from which a squad will be decided for the following year.
Please see our selection policy here.
Achievements
2019 International Blind Tennis Association (IBTA) International Event:
- Gold: Rachel Morgan: B1 Ladies
- Gold: Amanda Large: B2 Ladies
- Gold: Rosie Pybus: B4 Ladies
- Silver: James Currie: B2 Men
- Silver: Neil Fradgley: B4 Men
- Bronze: Paul Ryb: B3 Men
- Bronze: Sarah Fortescue: B3 Ladies
- Quarter-Finalist: Christopher Blake: B3 Men
Events
- IBTA International Event
- IBSA World Championships - IBSA World Games, 18 - 27 August 2023, Birmingham (UK)
2019 IBTA World Championships gold medallist, Rosie Pybus – “Having the opportunity to represent my country in the sport that I love has been an amazing experience, especially with Visually Impaired (VI) Tennis being in its infancy in terms of international development.
As a part of the GB Visually Impaired Tennis Team, I have accessed top quality coaching and financial support from the LTA to attend the training camps and have been lucky enough to represent Great Britain in Ireland in 2018 and again in Spain in 2019 - opportunities which once I never dreamed possible.
It’s great to be involved in the team and to be around so much talent, professionalism and dedication, both from my fellow teammates and from the administration team supporting us to continue achieving our best.”
The LTA’s Learning Disability Programme comprises of a development and national squad both consisting of eight players. Once players are selected into either squad, they are invited to attend four camps per year to support participation at their relevant international event. Players will also receive benefits relating to this programme such as coaching, development support and expense claims.
How to get in the team
Players are chosen through a selection day where coaches will assess all players on match play, tennis drills and physical tests. From this a team will be decided for the following year.
Players who have shown commitment and improvement throughout the previous year can be invited to the selection day. Invites are sent by the Disability Competitions Manager.
Please see our selection policy here.
Achievements
2023 Australian Open Players with an Intellectual Impairment Finals
- Winner: Anna McBride - Women's II1 Singles
- Winner: Anna McBridge - Women's II1 Doubles
- Runner-Up: Fabrice Higgins - Men's II1 Singles
- Runner-Up: Fabrice Higgins & Oliver Beadle - Men's II1 Doubles
2019 INAS World Global Games:
- Gold: Anna McBride - Women’s Singles
- Gold: Dominic Iannotti - Men’s Singles
- Gold: Dominic Iannotti/Anna McBride - Mixed Doubles
- Gold: Dominic Iannotti/Fabrice Higgins - Men’s Team Event
- Silver: Fabrice Higgins - Men’s Singles
- Silver - Dominic Iannotti/Fabrice Higgins - Men’s Doubles
- Silver – Oliver Beadle/Tom Mellor - Men’s Team Event
2019 GB Special Olympics World Games:
- Gold: Ryan Caven - Yellow Ball Men’s Singles Division 4/ Yellow Ball Mixed Doubles Division 2
- Gold: Jack Dixon - Green Ball Men’s Singles Division 2
- Gold: Lily Mills - Yellow Ball Women’s Singles Division 2/ Yellow Ball Doubles Mixed Division 2
- Silver: Frances Smiley - Orange Ball Women’s Singles Division 1
- Silver: Ben Tyler - Yellow Ball Men’s Singles Division 6
- Bronze: Jack Dixon - Yellow Ball Men’s Doubles Division 2
- Bronze: Ben Tyler - Yellow Ball Men’s Doubles Division 2
Events
- Virtus European Regional Games
- Virtus Global Games, 4-10 June 2023, Vichy (France)
- Special Olympics World Summer Games, 17-25 June, Berlin (Germany)
2019 INAS World Global Games silver medallist, Oliver Beadle - “Tennis has allowed me to meet a great group of tennis players, friends and specialist disability coaches and also to be able to compete for Great Britain. I take part in intensive training weekends via the LTA and compete all around the UK and the world. I’ve so far competed in Los Angeles and Brisbane and those experiences and being part of the British team have helped me a lot both on and off the court. I enjoy playing and trying to win! I really like the training weekends and competitions and meeting up with the friends I’ve made through LD tennis. I am so proud at being able to play for Great Britain, it is amazing to put on a GB shirt and travel away and be part of a team.”
WHEELCHAIR PERFORMANCE PATHWAY
Discover more about our Wheelchair Performance Pathway and how we are supporting wheelchair players to help them reach the top of the game.Find out more