2026 Premier Tier level ‘a giant step forward’ for wheelchair tennis
Professional wheelchair tennis players across the world will have more opportunities to compete alongside their non-wheelchair peers from next year, thanks to a new calendar structure announced by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) today.
From 2026, a significant number of new UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour events will take place at ATP and WTA tournaments, creating an enhanced calendar for players with more integrated professional opportunities, higher standards at tournaments and elevated prize money. The new series of events will follow the established and successful model of integrated events at Grand Slams, and will feature in the 2026 calendar alongside the small number of existing integrated events and the wheelchair only tournaments that form the backbone of the wheelchair tennis tour.
The announcement comes as part of a wider re-structure of the tour by the global governing body of tennis which is designed to enhance the extended wheelchair tennis competition and progression pathway. From 2026, the tour will be split into the three levels outlined below.
Premier Tier Highest profile level with enhanced prize money and standards, providing opportunities for professional players, with an increased range of in-event activity designed to promote the sport and make players more visible outside of matches. These will include come and try sessions, exhibition play with wheelchair and non-wheelchair players and player visits to local community facilities and events. Provisional tournament grades below:
Grand Slams / Masters 1000 500 250 International Tier Designed for international and professional-aspiring players, with clear progression opportunities to Premier Tier. Provisional tournament grades below: 175 100 50 Development Tier Lowest entry criteria, designed to be affordable and accessible to new and developing players. Provisional tournament grades below: 25 David Haggerty, ITF President, said: “The success of wheelchair tennis at Grand Slams demonstrates the viability of integration at the highest level of sport. We are taking proactive measures to apply that model across our tour, building on the success of the small number of existing integrated events to create a tour that is even more effective in enhancing the careers of professional and aspiring players. The new structure provides greater opportunity for us to continue to build the profiles of the players and the sport in general by putting wheelchair tennis on even more of the biggest stages in our sport, while also improving progression opportunities for those starting out in the game. “In 2026, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the start of wheelchair tennis. The distance the sport has come in that time is remarkable and results from significant investment and development work by the ITF and other stakeholders. We know there is still more work to be done to achieve its true potential, but this is a giant step forward for the sport as we look to capitalise on the success of Paris 2024 and provide a platform for the next generation of stars to thrive on the world stage.” Alfie Hewett, 23-time Grand Slam champion and five-time Paralympic medallist, said: “As I said after the men’s singles final at Wimbledon last week, regardless of the result, the bigger story for me was the fact that thousands of people were watching in the stands and millions at home. Now is the time to take the chance to grow our sport even further and make integrated events the norm rather than the exception. This new tour structure for next year is a great opportunity for players to take their careers to the next level, and I am thankful to the ITF for making it happen.”