Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Photograph credit: U.S. Blind Tennis Affiliation
Hold your eyes on the ball is a typical chorus coaches preach to new gamers.
Blind tennis gamers compete tuning into the sound of the ball placing the strings.
Now, America’s blind tennis gamers can take their video games to a brand new nationwide championship.
The U.S. Blind Tennis Affiliation (USBTA) at present introduced the inaugural U.S. Blind Tennis Nationwide Championship that shall be contested from August 7-Ninth at Brady’s Run Park in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.
The event marks the primary U.S. nationwide championship within the sport’s historical past and showcases the continued development of blind and low-vision tennis nationwide.
The championship is a serious milestone for blind tennis in the USA, offering athletes with the chance to compete on a nationwide stage. The USBTA experiences it has blind and low-vision tennis “participation has expanded by way of native applications, clinics, and tournaments, creating alternatives for blind and low imaginative and prescient athletes of all ages to expertise the game.”
“This championship is one thing our group has labored towards for years,” stated Murray Elbourn, President of the usBlind Tennis Affiliation. “For the primary time, blind and low imaginative and prescient athletes from throughout the nation can have the chance to compete for a nationwide title whereas demonstrating the talent, dedication, and keenness that outline our sport.”
Blind tennis continues to expertise speedy development all over the world and has emerged as one of many fastest-growing tailored sports activities with the Worldwide Blind Sports activities Federation IBSA. As tennis participation continues to rise nationwide, blind tennis represents an vital alternative to make the game extra accessible and inclusive for all.
“Tennis has the ability to carry communities collectively and create alternatives for individuals of all skills to take part and thrive,” Evan Enquist, Director of Adaptive Tennis on the USTA. “The inaugural U.S. Blind Tennis Nationwide Championships is a historic milestone that displays the large development of tailored tennis and the dedication of the athletes, volunteers, coaches, and advocates who’ve helped construct this group.”
Some elite execs have hit with blind gamers and are available away impressed by the expertise.
Click on the Tennis Now video beneath to see Andre Agassi tackle a blind tennis champion, who picks up the situation and route of the ball by way of the sound of a rattle embedded within the ball. Agassi initially tries hitting together with his eyes closed earlier than rallying with eyes open.
The U.S. Blind Tennis Nationwide Championship will happen August 7-9 at Brady’s Run Park in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Athletes from throughout the nation will compete in singles and doubles competitors throughout a number of sight classifications.
For extra details about attending or collaborating, please go to www.usblindtennis.org
