The past few weeks have been a busy and exciting time for the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Foundation and Special Olympics, with tennis clinics bringing athletes together with grand slam champions and top ten WTA players during the North American tennis swing.
In July, athletes from Special Olympics Maryland, D.C., and Virginia gathered for a clinic at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, a professional tournament held annually in Washington, D.C. Twenty athletes took to the court alongside current and former WTA players, including two-time Grand Slam champion Erin Routliffe, her doubles partner Aldila Sutjiadi, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, and WTA Foundation Ambassador and former tour player Christina McHale.
The athletes had the opportunity to sharpen their forehands and backhands alongside elite players while sharing laughs, stories, and their love of tennis. The WTA Foundation and Special Olympics have hosted the clinic at the D.C. tournament since 2018, making it a longstanding highlight of the summer tennis calendar. Erin Routliffe and Aldila Sutjiadi went on to win the DC tournament later that week.
In August, the partnership continued across the border at the National Bank Open in Canada, where nearly 20 athletes from Special Olympics Toronto shared the court with four-time Grand Slam champion and Special Olympics Global Ambassador Gaby Dabrowski.
For most of the participants, the clinic was an introduction to tennis. Athletes worked on fundamental skills including hand-eye coordination, racket balance, and basic forehands and backhands. The session was led by Vania King, WTA Community Development Program Lead and former Wimbledon champion, who helped athletes build confidence while enjoying their time on court. Special Olympics Toronto athlete Nina Castellanos also had the opportunity to perform the coin toss before a schedule match between Coco Gauff and Kayla Day.
To support their continued development, the WTA Foundation also donated new tennis rackets to each participant, giving the athletes the opportunity to keep practicing and building their skills throughout the year.
Since formalizing their partnership in 2018, the WTA Foundation and Special Olympics have worked together to expand awareness of and participation in tennis around the world. Through clinics like these, the organizations continue to create opportunities for athletes of all abilities to experience the sport, connect with the tennis community, and find a place on the court.
The next planned clinics with Special Olympics and the WTA Foundation will take place this November: the Hong Kong Prudential Open, followed by the WTA Finals in Indian Wells, California.
