Abbie Breakwell & Greg Slade selected to join ParalympicsGB Wheelchair tennis team for Paris 2024
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ParalympicsGB has confirmed the selections of Abbie Breakwell and Greg Slade for the wheelchair tennis team for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games after both players were allotted Bipartite Commission Invitation slots by the International Paralympic Committee and the International Tennis Federation.
Breakwell and Slade’s selections mean that an eight-strong ParalympicsGB Wheelchair tennis team is now set to contest all six medal events when the Paris 2024 Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Event takes place at Roland Garros on 30 August – 7 September.
21-year-old British women’s No.2 Breakwell, from Sawley in the East Midlands, is overjoyed with the confirmation of her selection for her Paralympic debut.
She said: “It’s just a dream come true. I’ve worked so hard for this and sacrificed so much to make sure I’m at tournaments to try and secure results and points. I’ve missed so many family events, family birthdays, so to finally have my selection confirmed, it means so much to me.”
Currently a student at Loughborough University, where she is studying exercise and sports therapy, Breakwell will play singles and partner three-time Paralympic medallist Lucy Shuker in the women’s doubles in Paris, the duo having already represented Great Britain together in World Team Cup competition.
She added: “I’m going to try and soak up every single moment, including playing doubles with Lucy. I grew up watching Lucy and Jordanne (Whiley) and now to be on the same court playing doubles with Lucy it’s another level of inspiration. This is the sort of thing you dream about as a kid.”
22-year-old Slade, from Dorking in Surrey, is the British No.2 quad singles and doubles player and is equally excited with the confirmation that he will also make his Paralympic debut in Paris.
He said: “The first emotion when I was told that was going to Paris was disbelief and shock. IT’s been a goal for a good number of years, even before tennis became really serious, so to have that confirmation that this is happening and that I have made it was very surreal.”
As well as playing in the quad singles in Paris, Slade will also play in the quad doubles alongside three-time Paralympic medallist Andy Lapthorne, whom Slade partnered to win their fourth title together last weekend at the Austrian Open.
Slade added: “It still hasn’t sunk in. Something that you’ve been dreaming about for so long is coming true. Andy’s got a lot of Paralympic experience and, of course, I’m hoping to draw from that and use his experience to guide me through my first Games. We’ve just won our fourth title together, so that ideally timed.”
Breakwell and Slade’s selections mean that the ParalympicsGB Wheelchair tennis team will include four previous Paralympic medallists and four Paralympic debutants, with Shuker, Lapthorne, Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid’s selections announced last month alongside those of Ben Bartram and Dahnon Ward.
A total of around 220 athletes from 19 sports are expected to make up the British team that will compete in Paris. At Tokyo 2020 ParalympicsGB won medals across a record breaking 18 different sports - the highest number of any nation ever. ParalympicsGB finished second on the medal table with 124 medals overall, including 41 gold, 38 silver and 45 bronze.
