Beyond the titles and accolades, wheelchair tennis has also brought the 44-year-old immense happiness. “It’s been huge,” she said. I think it’s something that I’ll always be grateful for because, if you put yourself in the same position, you’re 21 years old, and what you’ve known for the first 21 years of your life has […]
Beyond the titles and accolades, wheelchair tennis has also brought the 44-year-old immense happiness. “It’s been huge,” she said. I think it’s something that I’ll always be grateful for because, if you put yourself in the same position, you’re 21 years old, and what you’ve known for the first 21 years of your life has suddenly changed in terms of what your body can and can’t do, there are limitations.”And enjoying it, enjoying the process is not always about the wins and the losses, sometimes it’s, you’ve got to go with the journey, each day I want to be better than yesterday. It’s tough but keep putting myself out there and keep trying.””There’s some incredible other opponents which is always going to be tough but we’ll give it our best. Who knows in that Grand Slam? It might be the year. Each time I want to get on a court and feel like I’m playing the right way, I’m performing, playing the tennis that I want to be playing.”I’m playing with Yui, she won gold [in singles and doubles] at the Paralympics. So I’m playing with her at the next tournament and then at the Australian Open. So, who knows? It could be an exciting one,” Shuker smiled.
“Obviously I was newly injured, accepting who I now was. I hated being in a chair when I first had my accident. But being in a tennis chair, it just gave you freedom.
With three Paralympic medals under her belt and currently ranked world No. 16, Shuker has teamed up with world No. 2 Yui Kamiji in pursuit of that elusive major trophy.”You feel quite safe because the chair can move well. I could play with family, I could play with friends. And it just grew from there – I became quite good at the sport, and just have never looked back.”Lucy Shuker, once told she was “too disabled” to play top-tier wheelchair tennis, is now gunning for her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.”And you’re also having to problem solve, you become stronger, your body is adapting. And then it’s given me a career that I never would’ve thought I’d have. I’ve travelled around the world more than I’d have ever imagined, visited places that you wouldn’t think to go to.
“But what more can you do? Every day you’re trying to strive just to deal with getting up, getting out of the bed, finding a bit of joy and tennis gave me a lot of joy.”Just from talking with him just in the shop, I said that I played badminton before my accident so he said, ‘Well, why don’t you try tennis?'” Shuker told Express Sport.Shuker has had an illustrious career since her motorbike accident in 2002. Just two years post-accident, she was on the cusp of qualifying for the Athens Paralympics, proving her potential to succeed. With over 20 years in the sport, Shuker has achieved remarkable feats, including winning Olympic bronze medals at both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games with partner Jordanne Whiley, and adding a silver to her collection in Tokyo 2020.Back then, the Tokyo 2020 silver medallist could hardly have envisioned the illustrious career that lay ahead, particularly after being told she wouldn’t reach the pinnacle of her sport. Shuker added: “Didn’t think I would qualify for Paralympics, I was told I was too disabled to compete with the top girls. But I suppose the career that I’ve had has kind of proved that wrong!”
Yet her ambition burns bright for Grand Slam success. Despite being a four-time runner-up in the wheelchair doubles at the Australian Open, Shuker is optimistic about her chances with new partner Yui Kamiji, a gold medalist from the Paralympics.”Who would’ve thought that I would’ve been at a Grand Slam alongside some of the legends of tennis that come from the able-bodied game? It’s incredible to think that having had my accident, it’s then given me these opportunities.””He lent me one of his old tennis chairs and kind of fell in love with the sport. Did it just as a form of rehab, as a form of finding me again, being able to do something.Her journey began at age 21 when a motorbike accident left her paralysed from the chest down. A former badminton hopeful, Shuker found a new passion in wheelchair tennis during rehab after an encounter with quad tennis legend Peter Norfolk.
