GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The 2023 Midwest Wheelchair Tennis Championship, presented by Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports, will soon bring wheelchair and para-standing tennis athletes to Grand Rapids to compete.
This highly competitive tournament has been held in Grand Rapids for more than 30 years, and will take place at MVP Athletic Club, Crahen.
The tournament features athletes with all levels of experience.
It’s just the second year of the new para-standing division for athletes who may have an amputation, cerebral palsy, limb difference, hemiplegia or other congenital conditions.
This year, a junior international athlete from Chile will travel all the way to Grand Rapids to compete in the para-standing division.
Plus, national athletes from around the country are competing in this year's United States Tennis Association (USTA) Level 1 event.
There will be more than 150 matches, with athletes competing for more than $5,000 in prize money.
Tournament action begins Thursday, July 6 with an up/down social event— able-bodied tennis players will partner with para-standing or wheelchair players to form doubles teams.
Mary Free Bed says this tradition is a player favorite and showcases why tennis is so popular for athletes of all abilities.
Tournament play at MVP Athletic Club, Crahen starts Friday, July 7 at 9 a.m. and runs through Sunday, July 9.
Other tournament events include a free kids wheelchair tennis clinic from 4:30 p.m.- 6 p.m. Friday, and a mini kids wheelchair tournament from 10 a.m.- 12 p.m. Saturday.
Participants must be able to push a sports chair independently to play.
To register, contact the sports coordinator at Mary Free Bed, Jeovani Pantoja, at jeovani.pantoja@maryfreebed.com.
Community members are encouraged to attend the tournament to cheer on these amazing athletes— the tournament is free to the public.
