Aussie legend Heath Davidson will lead a team of five players representing Australia at the 2024 BNP Paribas World Team Cup, the pinnacle of wheelchair tennis team competition. The prestigious event is scheduled to take place from May 7 to 12 at the Megasaray Club Belek in Antalya, Turkey.
World No.5, Rio Paralympic quad doubles gold medallist and four-time Grand Slam doubles champion Davidson (Vic) and world No.32 Finn Broadbent (Vic) have been awarded a wildcard into the quad division. Broadbent, who made his Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open this year, was a member of the Australian team that won the junior title for the first time in 2019 and now aims to replicate his success in the men’s quad division.
“It’s always an honour representing Australia and wearing the green and gold,” said Davidson.
“I love this event and the team environment that comes with it. It’s nice to have the juniors at the same event and be able to support them in their journey as well. I’m lucky to have Finn as my partner and we are ready to hit the court and hopefully make Australia proud.”
The junior team features three rising stars of the game – world No.4 Yassin Hill(Vic), No.5 Ben Wenzel (Qld) and No.7 Jin Woodman (Vic). As a member of the winning junior team in 2022, Wenzel hopes to lead the team to victory once again.
Wenzel, who made his Grand Slam debut in the junior event at last year’s US Open, is thrilled with the collective experience the team has and is looking forward to competing alongside his heroes.
“It means the world to me as an athlete to know that I’ve made it to that level and it’s definitely a driver to keep going,” Wenzel said.
“Heath is my idol and was my biggest inspiration when I was starting wheelchair tennis, so it’s exciting he’ll be there with Finn, who is an up-and-coming player and also a big mentor of mine.”
Tennis Australia’s Head of Players with Disability Danielle Gescheit echoed Davidson and Wenzel’s sentiments.
“The World Team Cup has such a strong history for wheelchair tennis in Australia,” Gescheit said.
“It’s always special when the players get to represent their country, and even more so when the junior and senior players get to compete at the same event. The senior players provide mentorship to their juniors, whilst the juniors are able to see and play alongside the world’s best.”
With a two-time Paralympian, a returning champion, and three young guns preparing to compete, Gescheit said the depth of talent both from the competitors and the coaching staff is a promising sign of things to come from wheelchair tennis in Australia.
Twenty-one nations will compete across four categories at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup – men’s, women’s, quad, and juniors, providing a stunning showcase of the extraordinary talent and skill of wheelchair tennis athletes.
Australian Team – BNP Paribas World Team Cup:
Quad:
- Heath Davidson (VIC) – No.5 (singles), No.4 (doubles)
- Finn Broadbent (VIC) – No.32 (singles), No.40 (doubles)
Juniors:
- Ben Wenzel (QLD) – No.5 (singles)
- Jin Woodman (VIC) – No.7 (singles)
- Yassin Hill (VIC) – No.4 (singles)
Quad Team Captain:
Francois Vogelsberger – National High Performance Wheelchair Coach
Junior Team Captain:
Greg Crump – National Development Squad Coach (Wheelchair) VIC
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