The International Tennis Hall of Fame’s short-form video series, Road to Newport, returned today for its fourth season, featuring Class of 2023 inductees and wheelchair tennis pioneers Esther Vergeer of the Netherlands and Rick Draney of the United States.
The Road to Newport videos will debut every Tuesday and Thursday on the ITHF’s social media channels, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans can also watch the full series at tennisfame.com/roadtonewport.
In this year’s series, Vergeer and Draney’s perseverance showcase prominently, from adapting after life-altering accidents to reaching wheelchair tennis’ highest heights.
After becoming paralyzed at age eight, Vergeer details her discovery of tennis and love for sports that arose during rehabilitation. She takes viewers inside three of her four dominant runs at the Paralympics, including the 2000 Sydney, 2008 Beijing, and 2012 London Games, where she won her fourth and final gold medal. The victories were key moments in an unequaled career that included 470-straight singles wins and 169 singles titles.
The Class of 2023’s roles as innovators in wheelchair tennis are highlighted throughout Road to Newport. Vergeer gives insight into her desire to improve her game through equipment and the development of a custom bucket chair, and how she became the first wheelchair tennis athlete to work with legendary able-bodied coach Sven Groeneveld.
Rick Draney first picked up a racquet after an accident left him paralyzed in his late teens. Draney speaks to how tennis and its community helped him return to an active lifestyle and rediscover his passion for competition. Beyond tennis, he became an accomplished wheelchair rugby athlete, winning gold at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics with Team USA.
Draney shares how he and fellow Hall of Famer Brad Parks revolutionized what became the Quad Division in wheelchair tennis. Draney’s technique of taping to secure his racquet in his playing arm became widely taught and is utilized to this day.
The Road to Newport leads into Enshrinement Weekend and the Class of 2023’s Induction Ceremony on Saturday, July 22. Fans can learn more about Enshrinement Weekend experiences and purchase ceremony tickets now at tennisfame.com/enshrinement.