E117: The Evolution of Wheelchair Tennis - From Day Chairs to Wimbledon Champions

In this episodeof the Experts in Sport podcast, host Martin Foster is joined by former British No.1 and Wimbledon champion Jayant Mistry, Professor Vicky Tolfrey, and Dr Thomas Rietveld to explore how athlete experience, research and technology have driven the sport's evolution. From custom-built chairs and performance science to Wimbledon and the future of the game, discover how innovation continues to shape wheelchair tennis. 01:00 Wimbledon reflections and how the sport has evolved 05:00 Jayant Mistry's journey from local courts to Wimbledon champion 08:50 Vicky Tolfrey's introduction to parasport research 13:45 How Thomas Reitveld became a wheelchair tennis researcher 16:45 The evolution of wheelchair tennis chairs 21:00 Science meets sport: Optimising wheelchair performance 27:20 Customised chairs, technology and performance gains 32:20 Turning athlete ideas into research questions 36:40 Court surfaces, Wimbledon grass and equipment regulations 38:30 Accessibility, participation and getting started in wheelchair tennis 44:20 Emerging research: surfaces, sensors and performance analysis 46:20 Classification debates and inclusivity in wheelchair tennis 53:50 The future of wheelchair tennis over the next decade