Wheelchair tennis is an established Paralympic sport (since 1988), and wheelchair padel is the fastest-growing racket sport for wheelchair users worldwide. Belgium has active clubs in both sports, a growing youth offering and international ambitions towards LA 2028 and beyond.
🎾 Wheelchair tennis — the basics
Rules
- Standard tennis court and net
- Racket-technical rule: the ball may bounce twice (instead of once) for the wheelchair player
- Wheelchair context: between strokes the player may move freely
- Singles and doubles — mixed teams possible
Classification
- "Open" class — wheelchair tennis standard
- "Quad" class — for quadriplegia (players with tetraplegia or comparable impairment in the upper body AND legs)
🎾 Belgian wheelchair tennis clubs
Major clubs
- Belgische Tennisbond BTB / AFT — governing bodies, run an adapted tennis programme
- Wheelchair tennis Antwerp — check via Adaptive sport clubs by province
- Wheelchair tennis Ghent — via local TCs
- Wheelchair tennis Brussels — several clubs
Wallonia
- TC Namurois and other clubs with an adapted programme via the LHF
🏓 Wheelchair padel — the new sport
Why padel is growing
- Popular new sport in Belgium (padel explosion 2020-2028)
- Shorter points than tennis — less physically demanding
- Smaller court (10×20 m instead of 24×11 m for tennis)
- Glass walls make the sport less dependent on physical reach
- Team sport (always doubles)
Wheelchair padel rules
- Same ball-bounce rule as wheelchair tennis (2 bounces allowed)
- Standard padel court — glass walls help ball rebound
- Match format comparable to regular padel
Belgian wheelchair padel context
- Padel Vlaanderen — the federation is working on a G programme
- Well-known padel clubs in Antwerp, Ghent, Brussels, Liège have courts where wheelchair access is possible
- Belgian Wheelchair Padel Open (annual) — fixed slot on the calendar
🛒 Sport wheelchair for tennis/padel
Tennis-specific wheelchair
- Lighter than basketball wheelchair (7-11 kg)
- Higher seating position for better racket reach
- Strongly cambered wheels (16-20° camber) for quick turning
- Price: €3,500-8,500 depending on the model
VAPH funding
For a recognised adaptive sport context, an adapted racket-sport wheelchair may appear on the VAPH reference list. See financial support deepdive.
Racket context
Standard racket — no adaptation needed. For quad players, a strap aid can help (racket tie to hand).
🏆 Competition structure
Belgian competition
- Belgian Wheelchair Tennis Championship — annual
- ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour — international tournaments, Belgian participation
- UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour — top international level
Padel
- National Wheelchair Padel Championship — younger but growing
- FIP (International Padel Federation) — international wheelchair padel circuit under construction
🥇 Road to LA 2028 — Paralympic ambitions
- Wheelchair tennis is Paralympic — Belgian player participation possible via ITF ranking
- Wheelchair padel not in LA 2028 — possible debut at later Games (2032)
- Belgian focus: ITF Tour participation + Grand Slam context (Wheelchair Grand Slams run parallel to the regular ones)
🎯 Beginners flow
Step 1: Choose tennis vs padel
- Tennis = individual, longer points, more physical
- Padel = team, shorter points, social
Step 2: Contact a club
- Flanders: check the G-sport Vlaanderen member list
- Wallonia: check the LHF member list
- Large TCs often have an adapted programme or can refer you
Step 3: Trial lessons
- Usually 1-3 free sessions
- Equipment often available at the club
Step 4: Membership + optionally your own sport wheelchair
🎯 Our top recommendations
For first-time wheelchair tennis: contact BTB (Belgische Tennisbond) or AFT (Association Francophone de Tennis) — both run an adapted tennis programme and can refer you to a local club.
For wheelchair padel enthusiasts: contact the Padel Vlaanderen G programme — newer but growing fast, ideal for a social sports context.
For families with a child: choose a club with a U18 tennis programme — ask explicitly about age groups.
For competitive ambition: ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour participation — Belgian players can develop through it towards an international ranking.
Combine with other pillars
- Adaptive sport clubs by province — broader sports context
- Wheelchair basketball Belgium 2028 — parallel team sport
- Financial support — sport wheelchair funding
- Adaptive sport and recreation — overview
In conclusion
Wheelchair tennis and wheelchair padel are two growing racket sports in Belgium. Tennis is the established Paralympic discipline, padel is the new sport with broad social-community potential.
Our recommendation for first-time racket sport: wheelchair padel if you want social and team, wheelchair tennis if you want individual and competitive-technical.
Are you a wheelchair tennis/padel player with experience to share? Let us know.