Up-and-coming British wheelchair tennis star Alfie Hewett and the veteran two-time Paralympic gold medallist and London 2012 quad doubles silver medallist Peter Norfolk - affectionately known as "The Quadfather" - were at the event along with players with visual and hearing impairments and those with learning disabilities.

As players of all disciplines of the sport took to the court to showcase their skills, the Tennis Foundation's executive director Geoff Newton told insidethegames of how the Paralympic movement and disability tennis are progressing following the Games in London last year.

"We're on a journey to be honest," he said.

"The Paralympics was inspirational in terms of what so many people realise when they saw the level and standard, commitment and professionalism of the disabled athletes.

"We were fortunate to win two medals and that was a great experience, but I think it's helping us as we develop the sport at grassroots level, to really inspire people and maybe interest them that bit more in trying the sport, and what today is about is to demonstrate that tennis doesn't really have any barriers, it doesn't matter whether you're able-bodied or disabled, it doesn't matter what your disability is, the sport can adapt itself to allow you to play.

Andy Lapthorne (left) and Peter Norfolk (right) won silver in the men's quad doubles at London 2012

"Not everyone is going to be or wants to be a Paralympic champion, but there's lots of fun you can have by just playing it socially.

"I think there's been an appreciation of the professionalism and the level to which sporting achievements have been realised by people with disabilities so I think they now see sport for disabled people as sport, not making allowances because they're disabled, which is great.

"But I think there's a long way to go in terms of translating that down into everyday society and peoples attitudes towards disabled people, there are still too many stories of disabled people being abused or not being treated in a transparent and normal way.

"I think yes, it was great, I think it changed a lot of attitudes and hopefully it will help over a longer term to get more disabled people playing sport, but also changing perceptions about disability generally."

With promising players such as world number six Gordon Reid, who is due to compete at the US Open later this week, and junior world number one Hewett amid their ranks, Newton hopes that the top-class coaching and facilities on offer will produce more medals for Great Britain at the next Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in three years' time.

"We have set our sights high [for Rio 2016], and I think we learned a lot in the preparation for the London cycle, so we're starting this off with a much clearer idea of what has to happen to give our athletes the maximum opportunity of winning medals," he said.

"I'm confident that we're doing the right things, and we just have to hope that it all comes together on the day."

Sixtteen-year-old world junior number one Alfie Hewett could be among Britain's medal hopes at London 2012

Though only one adaptation of tennis is currently played in the Paralympics, wheelchair tennis, British Paralympic Association (BPA) chief executive Tim Hollingsworth felt that the opportunity to showcase the other ways in which the sport can be adapted to cater for many disabilities and impairments at the £40 million ($62 million/€47 million) National Tennis Centre was a great way to show the versatility of the sport and to get more disabled people involved in playing tennis.

"It's very important for the sport and it's pretty fascinating for the Paralympic movement," he told insidethegames.

"I'm openly saying that today is the first time I've seen other versions of the game for other impairment groups - I've never seen visually impaired tennis before today, it was great to see it.

"But I think days like today are important for two very good reasons.

"One, with every sport, just the opportunity to show it and demonstrate it is very powerful, this is a great facility and there's some great activity going on.

"But secondly, I think it does underline the range of opportunity that tennis can provide for disabled people, and actually how accessible it is, in the sense that you need minimum adaptation to the court, minimum adaptation to the rules, and I think that's pretty powerful."

British Paralympic athletes followed-on from their impressive performances in Bejing four years earlier with an equally-impressive showing at London 2012, in which they finished third in the final medal table with 34 gold, 43 silver and 43 bronze medals in front of sell-out crowds in the British capital, garnering unprecedented media coverage along the way.

Hollingsworth insisted that the BPA are looking to the future and using the success of London 2012 as the springboard.

"We always said from a Paralympic perspective that we try not to use the word legacy, because the word legacy suggests that you've got to where you want to be, but you're trying to sustain it and I don't think we are there," he said.

"Our strategy for the next five years is maximising momentum.

"There's two very positive things you can point to: one is the continued focused on an interest in the elite level and the funding that has gone into Paralymic sport, but also the way that our own event this weekend, National Paralympic Day, and the London Anniversary Games, have shown far greater levels of interest in watching our athletes compete at an international level.

"But also the way that there's a national debate started perhaps by the Paralympics about disability and disability issues, and the role of disabled people in society but also the perception of them.

"While we're certainly not there yet.

"It's good, the platform created by London was a good platform for that, so I think if you look at those two points, there's been a very positive outcome."

Spectators packed the stands for the Olympic and Paralympic athletes at the London Anniversary Games in July

Robertson, who had earlier watched players of all disciplines showcase their sport, hailed the event and the impact that London 2012 not only had for disabled athletes, but also for disabled people in society.

"The London 2012 Paralympics helped change people's attitudes to disabled people and has strengthened disability sport at all levels in Britain," he said.

"We are committed to offering more opportunities for disabled people to play sport and it is fantastic to see so many young people taking part in the Tennis Foundation's Disability Tennis Festival today."

With London 2012 now but a fond memory, it is now very much the future that is the key focus for the Tennis Foundation, who have also this year launched a new Disability Tennis Road Show, which will visit seven venues later this month offering free disability inclusion training, sessions for schools and activities for the local community.

"It's such an exciting time for disability sport at the moment and we have seen a real legacy from the Paralympics with not only more people playing tennis, but more coaches, volunteers and venues wanting to offer disability tennis," said Newton.

"Following the creation of 29 Disability Tennis Networks supported by the Tennis Foundation, participation in these areas has increased by 169 percent since January 2013 and we will be increasing the number of Networks to 39 from next month."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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