The ITF wheelchair tennis players have elected the third ITF Wheelchair Tennis Player Council, with players representing all three divisions and all levels of the rankings worldwide set to begin their two-year tenure in 2023.

The 2023-2024 Player Council will feature four current players who are new to the Player Council – Robert Shaw, Andrea D’Agostini, Alfie Hewett and Zhenzhen Zhu - while Lucy Shuker and Maikel Scheffers have been re-elected to serve on the Player Council for a third term.

Jane Ndenga returns to the Player Council after being elected to the first Player Council launched by the ITF in 2018. Nick Taylor will serve on the Player Council for a third term, but this time as a former and now retired player.

The incoming Player Council will begin their two-year tenure from 1 January 2023. It is comprised of seven current players, each of whom holds an active ITF ranking, as well as one former player who has previously competed at one of the sport’s flagship events – and one coach.

The nine council members will represent the interests of wheelchair tennis players across all divisions, rankings and world regions involved in ITF wheelchair tennis competitions, as well as offering advice and recommendations to the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Committee on all issues of concern to players – including, but not limited to, the ITF rules and regulations.

The Player Council features at least one current player from each division; at least two current players of each gender; at least one player from each international region (the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia/Oceania); and at least one player from the following ranking ranges at the start of the election period: 1-10, 11-40, and 41+. The elected members will individually represent players within their own specified division, ranking band and geographical world region.

With the second Player Council term ending on 31 December 2022, nominations for this third cohort opened in October, with voting held between 14 November and 21 November. The following players were elected:

Current players

Lucy Shuker (GBR), women's world No. 7*

Robert Shaw (CAN), quad world No. 7

Andrea D’Agostini (ITA), men’s world No. 274

Jane Ndenga (KEN), women’s world No. 131

Alfie Hewett (GBR), men’s world No. 2

Maikel Scheffers (NED), men’s world No. 12*

Zhenzhen Zhu (CHN), women’s world No. 5

Former player:
Nick Taylor (USA), former quad world No.1 and four-time Paralympian*

Coach:
Andrea Saggion (ITA), Wheelchair Tennis Coach, Federazione Italiana Tennis (FIT)

* Re-elected 2021-2022 Player Council members