British inductees announced for the World Tennis Wheelchair Hall of Champions
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A distinguished group of individuals and organisations have been honoured during the Lexus Eastbourne Open after the first British inductees to the World Tennis Wheelchair Hall of Champions were unveiled in a special ceremony at Devonshire Park on Thursday.
These players, coaches, and contributors have played a central role in shaping and building wheelchair tennis over five decades, with David Rawlinson, former LTA President and World Tennis Board member, and Cain Berry, Executive Director of World Tennis Wheelchair, presenting awards to the new inductees in recognition of their contributions and achievements.
Launched as part of the celebrations marking 50 years of wheelchair tennis in 2026, the World Tennis Wheelchair Hall of Champions is a digital platform recognising the individuals and organisations whose contributions have helped drive the sport's growth and success around the world.
British Inductees - Contributors
- Mark Bullock - An LTA Level 4 Accredited Coach with more than 30 years of experience in disability sport, Bullock has played a significant role in the development of wheelchair tennis in Great Britain. His contributions have been recognised through honours, including World Tennis’s UNIQLO Spirit Award and the Brad Parks Award. He is also a key member of the LTA’s Disability Advisory Group and a former LTA Development Coach of the Year.
- Martin McElhatton OBE – Among the early pioneers of wheelchair tennis in Great Britain in the 198s and 1990s, McElhatton has spent over 40 years in wheelchair sport through leadership and voluntary roles at local, national, and international level, including as Chief Executive of WheelPower. Based at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, he was among the early pioneers of wheelchair tennis in Great Britain in the 1980s and 1990s and was chairman of the former National Wheelchair Tennis Association of Great Britain for 35 years.
- Sue Wolstenholme OBE - Former Executive Director of The Tennis Foundation and its predecessors when the Disability Tennis Programme in Britain was established, and became a key focus of the Foundation’s and her work. A former LTA Board Member and Vice-President, she also served on the Board of the British Paralympic Association. Wolstenholme is currently Chair of the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust, a trustee of WheelPower, and received the Brad Parks Award in 2005.
- Stuart Wilkinson – A level 4 LTA Accredited Coach and former national coach for wheelchair tennis with over 20 years of coaching experience. Wilkinson has coached some of Britain's most successful wheelchair tennis players as a personal coach, including Jayant Mistry, Alfie Hewett, and Peter Norfolk, aside from his former role as a pivotal member of the Great Britain Wheelchair Tennis Performance Programme. He was named World Tennis Wheelchair Tennis Coach of the Year in 2016 in recognition of his contributions to the sport.
- Geraint Richards - Former Performance Director of the Great Britain Wheelchair Tennis Programme, Richards oversaw one of the most successful periods in British wheelchair tennis history, including Great Britain's six-medal haul at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, and he helped British players win 28 Grand Slam titles across a period of five years.
- The LTA - The LTA has been a driving force behind the growth of wheelchair tennis in Britain since the sport’s early years, helping create opportunities and pathways for generations of players. In recognition of its outstanding contribution to the sport, it received the Brad Parks Award, wheelchair tennis’s highest honour, in 2000, with former Tennis Foundation Chief Executive Sue Wolstenholme receiving the same Award five years later. Bridie Amos, the deputy president of the LTA accepted on behalf of the organisation.
British Inductees - Players
- Jordanne Whiley MBE - A 13-time Grand Slam champion and four-time Paralympic medallist, Whiley was the first British tennis player to complete a Calendar Grand Slam when she won all four women's doubles major titles in 2014. She won four Paralympic medals across three Games, and aside from her 12 Grand Slam titles in women’s doubles she also became the first British female wheelchair player to win a Grand Slam singles title when she won the 2015 US Open.
- Peter Norfolk OBE - One of the most influential players in the history of quad wheelchair tennis, Norfolk won the first two Paralympic quad singles gold medals in 2004 and 2008 and played a pivotal role in raising the profile of the quad division on the sport’s biggest stages. During his career, he captured 49 quad singles titles and 19 quad doubles titles on the Wheelchair Tennis Tour, including 22 major singles crowns at Super Series and Grand Slam events.
Outside of Thursday’s Hall of Champions induction ceremony, the LTA is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of wheelchair tennis across the grass court season, with a new digital exhibition in partnership with Getty Images, and Get in and Go wheelchair tennis taster sessions, powered by Lexus, allowing you all to try wheelchair tennis.
This week’s Lexus Eastbourne Open and next week’s Lexus British Open Roehampton also provide the opportunity to watch some of the world’s best wheelchair tennis stars in action prior to The Championships, Wimbledon.
The WC500 wheelchair tournament at the Lexus Eastbourne Open is taking place on Courts 4, 5, and 12 until Saturday.
