Canada’s top wheelchair tennis player Rob Shaw is focused on the Paralympics in August while continuing his success on the court.
After a brief break following a career-best win in April, the 34-year-old returned in May and secured two doubles titles. Shaw, partnered with Aussie Heath Davidson, claimed victories at the Tram Barcelona Open and Open International de Royan in consecutive weeks. This brings Shaw’s total titles in 2024 to four, matching his achievements in previous seasons.
Shaw reached a career-high of six titles in 2019 and now holds 27 ITF quad doubles trophies. Additionally, he made an impressive run in the singles category at the Royan event, reaching his first final of 2024. In the semifinals, Shaw defeated world No. 4 Donald Ramphadi in straight sets, showcasing his mental strength and determination.
Despite losing in the final to Ahmet Kaplan, Shaw’s performances in Barcelona and Royan were commendable. However, his momentum did not carry over to Paris, where he faced defeat in his opening singles and doubles matches at Roland-Garros.
In the past four weeks, Mitch McIntyre and Thomas Venos also found success, each securing their third ITF doubles title of the year. McIntyre claimed the quad doubles title in Padova, Italy, with Finn Broadbent, while Venos reached the men’s doubles final at the same event.
As the ITF Wheelchair Tour heads to Boucherville, Quebec, for the Futures Series event, Canadian players are gearing up to compete. With the deadline for Paralympic Games qualification approaching, players like Thomas Venos are working hard to improve their rankings before the July 15 deadline.
While Venos currently sits 28 spots away from qualification, he is determined to close the gap and secure a spot at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris. Similarly, other Canadian players are striving to boost their rankings and earn a chance to compete on the grand stage.
