David Wagner (tennis)
Encyclopedia
David Wagner is an American wheelchair tennis
player. Paralyzed from the mid-chest down and with thirty percent function in his hands, he competes in the quadriplegic division of that sport. He plays by taping the tennis racket to his hand. He is currently ranked number one in the world in doubles and number two in singles behind Peter Norfolk
of the United Kingdom
.
Wagner was born in Fullerton, California
, and grew up in Walla Walla, Washington
. He played basketball in high school and tennis in college. He became a quadriplegic at age 21 while visiting a friend in Redondo Beach, California
, during summer break. He and his friends were playing frisbee
on the beach and Wagner began chasing after the frisbee through shallow water. He attempted to jump over a wave, but the wave caught his feet, spun him around, and he landed head-first in the sand, leaving him paralyzed. He took a year off of college and began practicing table tennis
as part of his rehabilitation. He won a national competition in that sport three years in a row, from 1997 to 1999.
In 1999, at age 25, he attended a wheelchair tennis training camp set up by Rick Draney, then the top-ranked quadriplegic tennis player in the world. Wagner immediately loved the sport and by 2002 was the number one ranked U.S. quadriplegic player. At the 2004 Summer Paralympics
he won a gold medal in quad doubles with Nick Taylor and a silver medal in singles. The next year he reached number one in the world rankings in both singles and doubles and repeated that achievement in 2007. Also in 2007, he participated in the first quad competitions held at the U.S. Open
, winning doubles with Taylor and taking second in singles behind Peter Norfolk. Wagner had successfully urged the United States Tennis Association
to include a quadriplegic division at the event; the U.S. Open was the first of the Grand Slam
tournaments to do so. The Australian Open
followed suit the next year, and Wagner again lost the first place match of the singles competition to Norfolk and won doubles with Taylor. At the 2008 Beijing Paralympics
, he and Taylor won gold in doubles and competed against each other in the bronze medal match of the singles event, with Wagner taking the match and the medal. As of January 2011, Wagner is ranked first in singles and doubles.
Wagner worked as an elementary school teacher until 2004, when he began competing in tennis full-time. He currently lives in Hillsboro, Oregon
.
Wheelchair Tennis
Wheelchair tennis is one of the forms of tennis adapted for those who have disabilities in their lower bodies. The size of courts, balls, and rackets are same, but there are two major differences from pedestrian tennis; they use specially designed wheelchairs and the ball may bounce up to two times...
player. Paralyzed from the mid-chest down and with thirty percent function in his hands, he competes in the quadriplegic division of that sport. He plays by taping the tennis racket to his hand. He is currently ranked number one in the world in doubles and number two in singles behind Peter Norfolk
Peter Norfolk
Peter Robert Norfolk OBE is a British wheelchair tennis player.Norfolk suffered a motorbike accident at the age of 19, and was left paraplegic. He subsequently became a Paralympian, and was the first person ever to win a Paralympic medal for Britain in tennis when he took gold in the quads singles...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Wagner was born in Fullerton, California
Fullerton, California
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...
, and grew up in Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census...
. He played basketball in high school and tennis in college. He became a quadriplegic at age 21 while visiting a friend in Redondo Beach, California
Redondo Beach, California
Redondo Beach is one of the three Beach Cities located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 66,748 at the 2010 census, up from 63,261 at the 2000 census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the greater Los Angeles area.Redondo Beach was originally part of...
, during summer break. He and his friends were playing frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
on the beach and Wagner began chasing after the frisbee through shallow water. He attempted to jump over a wave, but the wave caught his feet, spun him around, and he landed head-first in the sand, leaving him paralyzed. He took a year off of college and began practicing table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
as part of his rehabilitation. He won a national competition in that sport three years in a row, from 1997 to 1999.
In 1999, at age 25, he attended a wheelchair tennis training camp set up by Rick Draney, then the top-ranked quadriplegic tennis player in the world. Wagner immediately loved the sport and by 2002 was the number one ranked U.S. quadriplegic player. At the 2004 Summer Paralympics
2004 Summer Paralympics
The 2004 Summer Paralympics were held in Athens, Greece, from September 17 to September 28. The twelfth Paralympic Games, an estimated 4,000 athletes took part in the Athens programme, with ages ranging from 11 to 66. Paralympic events had already taken place during the 2004 Summer Olympics as...
he won a gold medal in quad doubles with Nick Taylor and a silver medal in singles. The next year he reached number one in the world rankings in both singles and doubles and repeated that achievement in 2007. Also in 2007, he participated in the first quad competitions held at the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...
, winning doubles with Taylor and taking second in singles behind Peter Norfolk. Wagner had successfully urged the United States Tennis Association
United States Tennis Association
The United States Tennis Association is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the United States. A not-for-profit organization with more than 700,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds to promote and develop the growth of tennis, from the grass-roots to the professional levels...
to include a quadriplegic division at the event; the U.S. Open was the first of the Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
tournaments to do so. The Australian Open
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
followed suit the next year, and Wagner again lost the first place match of the singles competition to Norfolk and won doubles with Taylor. At the 2008 Beijing Paralympics
2008 Summer Paralympics
The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the thirteenth Paralympics, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to September 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao....
, he and Taylor won gold in doubles and competed against each other in the bronze medal match of the singles event, with Wagner taking the match and the medal. As of January 2011, Wagner is ranked first in singles and doubles.
Wagner worked as an elementary school teacher until 2004, when he began competing in tennis full-time. He currently lives in Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
.