Dylan Alcott, the Australian wheelchair tennis star, has criticised the US Open administration for leaving out Wheelchair Tennis from this year’s edition.
The US Open officials had announced that the competition would go on scheduled dates and the matches would happen in closed stadiums. The tournament would feature only Men’s and Women’s singles and double’s, leaving out Mixed doubles and Wheelchair Tennis.
Alcott, a 10 times wheelchair tennis grand slam singles titles, which includes two US Opens, has taken it to Twitter after it was officially announced that the 2020 US Open would go in its scheduled dates with just the single’s and double’s events.
“Just got announced that the US Open will go ahead WITHOUT wheelchair tennis. Players weren’t consulted. I thought I did enough to qualify – 2x champion, number 1 in the world. But unfortunately, I missed the only thing that mattered, being able to walk. Disgusting discrimination,” he wrote on Twitter.
He said that being disabled did not mean that he was sick. “And please do not tell me I am a ‘greater risk’ because I am disabled. I am disabled, yes, but that does not make me SICK. I am fitter and healthier than nearly everybody reading this right now. There are no added risks,” he added.
He said the choice of whether or not to play should have been given to the players rather than the officials choosing to leave out wheelchair tennis. “And for sure there are far more important things going on in the world, but that choice should’ve been up TO ME. It is blatant discrimination for able-bodied people to decide on my behalf what I do with my LIFE AND CAREER just because I am disabled. Not good enough.”
