Lexus Nottingham Open makes history with first Learning Disability and Autism tournament

British players including Oliver Beadle, Fabrice Higgins, Aidan Moody, Joshua Kerr, Max Mundy, Anna McBride, and Lillie Mills will compete in a men’s and women’s tournament for the II1 classification. Crucially the tournament is fully sanctioned by Virtus, the international federation for athletes with intellectual impairments, giving the players a valuable chance to compete for ranking points.

This milestone moment will take place during Learning Disability Awareness Week. The tournament will raise the profile of Learning Disability and Autism tennis, in line with the awareness week’s theme of “Do you see me?”, which is all about people with a learning disability being seen, heard and valued.

Learning Disability and Autism Tennis

When it comes to tennis, a learning disability includes conditions such as Down’s Syndrome, Asperger’s Syndrome, Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). 

Players with a learning disability have the opportunity to play tennis through the LTA Open Court programme, a national scheme that actively promotes and delivers opportunities for disabled people to get involved in tennis and padel. 

Competitive learning disability and autism tennis has three categories II1 – Intellectual Disability, II2 – Intellectual Disability and Significant Additional Impairment and II3 - Autism.  The Lexus Nottingham Open tournament will be for players within the II1 classification, which is connected to having an IQ of less than 75.

For those looking to compete, the LTA stages a year-round disability tennis competitions calendar to give disabled people and those with long-term health conditions a chance to compete in learning disability and autism, deaf, para standing, visually impaired, and wheelchair tennis.  

The LTA runs performance programmes for Learning Disability, Deaf, and Visually Impaired Tennis, while financial support is also given to elite Para Standing Tennis by the LTA – giving more players the chance to represent Great Britain on the international stage.

Find out more about LD tennis and inclusive tennis opportunities

Lexus Nottingham Open

The Lexus Nottingham Open will see eight men and eight women with II1 classifications compete in the LD&A tournament, which will take place alongside the women’s WTA 250 event and men’s ATP Challenger Tour. The LD&A tournament will take place from 19 – 21 June.

The entry list is as follows:

The LTA will also be bringing together key delivery partners to celebrate the work we have done together to grow learning disability tennis and develop plans for the future.

The Lexus Nottingham Open will also be staging a wheelchair tennis exhibition with top British women’s and quad wheelchair tennis players on 20 - 21 June.

Get In and Go wheelchair tennis taster sessions, powered by Lexus, will allow spectators to try wheelchair tennis using specialist sports wheelchairs, provided by Alfie Hewett.

A wheelchair exhibition will take place agin at the Lexus Nottingham Open, after Cornelia Oosthuizen, Greg Slade, Andy Lapthorne at Lucy Shuker featured in Nottingham last summer.

A landmark year for disability tennis

The introduction of the LD&A tournament at the Lexus Nottingham Open, has been made possible by a significant increase in LTA investment in disability tennis competitions, with an uplift of nearly 25% of LTA funding in 2026.

Visually impaired, para standing and deaf tennis will see investment to showcase British talent in exhibitions and competitions in 2026. 

In the 50th anniversary year of the invention of wheelchair tennis, LTA investment in wheelchair tennis during the 2026 grass court season will also increase by over 20%.  

Learning Disability and Autism Tennis Tournament Director, Rebecca Brook said, "Providing valuable opportunities for learning disability and autism tennis players to compete is a key part of the LTA’s work to make tennis more inclusive for disabled people and those with long-term health conditions.

“We are delighted to give the best of British and international learning disability and autism tennis players the chance to compete for ranking points and showcase their sport at the Lexus Nottingham Open.”

Lexus Nottingham Open Tournament Director, Amy Hitchinson said, “We are so excited to be staging the first Virtus-sanctioned learning disability and autism tournament at the Lexus Nottingham Open alongside the return of our wheelchair tennis exhibition match.

“This is an important opportunity to raise the visibility of learning disability and autism tennis and fans are going to be in for a treat, watching some of the world’s best players competing on grass.”