Australian Open 2025: Meet the world’s top female wheelchair tennis stars

ICYMI: The Australian Open 2025 wheelchair championships entry lists have been released this week, featuring a draw size of 16 men, 16 women and 16 Quad players participating in the first Grand Slam event of the year.

The Australian Open wheelchair tennis main draws are set for Tuesday 21 January through to Saturday 25 January – and we can’t wait to watch. Here’s a list of the female players in the main draw and qualifying, plus some of the top ranked, key female players who should be on your radar, if they aren’t already.

Yui Kamiji – World No. 2

Yui is a highly accomplished Japanese wheelchair tennis player, and is widely regarded as one of the best in the sport. At just 30 years old, she has made a significant impact in the world of wheelchair tennis, especially in singles and doubles events. She’s won multiple Grand Slam titles in both singles and doubles, including the Aus Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open (just casually).

She’s achieved the World No. 1 position in the women’s singles multiple times, and also brought in several medals at the 2016 and 2020 Paralympic Games. “At my first Games, I went to the Opening Ceremony and I had never seen anything like that before. It was so good to combine with athletes from other sports and countries,” she told the International Tennis Federation.

“Then at Rio, I won my first Paralympic medal and then the Tokyo Games were in my home country, which was very special…Also for me, when I was young, I did not watch much tennis on television. I would watch wheelchair tennis and, before I watched the Grand Slams, I watched the Paralympics.”

Beyond her tennis achievements, Yui has also become a strong voice and advocate for people with disabilities in Japan, and has boosted visibility for wheelchair tennis across the country, and beyond.

Aniek Van Koot – World No. 3

Aniek is a prominent Dutch wheelchair tennis player, who has established herself as one of the top figures in the sport. She’s won several Grand Slam singles and doubles titles – including winning the Aus Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Throughout her career, she’s been ranked World No. 1 in women’s wheelchair tennis doubles.

Aniek was born to be a tennis player – both her parents worked at a sports complex that included tennis courts, with her father managing the grounds. When she was 10 years old, her mother watched a documentary about wheelchair tennis and showed Aniek – and inspired her to pursue a career in the sport. “I had a look, and I fell in love,” she told the US Open, “and I said, ‘Yeah, I got this’.”

Off the field, Aniek loves to host friends and family. In an interview with the US Open, she said: “I like to entertain people. I love cooking. I can’t really say I’m too good at it, but I do try every time, and I think that’s worth a lot.”

Ziying Wang – World No. 4

Ziying is a force to be reckoned with. At just 26 years old, the Chinese wheelchair tennis superstar has achieved plenty, competing at the 2020 Summer Paralympics, and being a quarterfinalist at the 2024 French Open singles’ and doubles’ tournament.

On her Olympics profile, Ziying shares that her pre-game ritual is listening to music – and that she started playing tennis at 11. She’s said that her parents initially sent her to swim school, so that she could have a “brighter future.” Her life-changing moment was when she was spotted and selected for wheelchair tennis training by a coach from the Sichuan provincial team in the People’s Republic of China.

She lists her hero as Swiss tennis icon Roger Federer (I mean, who doesn’t?).

Jiske Griiffioen – World No. 5

Hailing from the Netherlands, Jiske is no stranger to the Australian Open. In 2015, she won her first singles Grand Slam title at the Aus Open, defeating Japan’s Yui Kamiji.

In 2017, the Dutch player told the ABC, “I always love the Aussie Open, it’s always a good crowd. They call it a happy slam and I think that’s really true.”

While she announced her retirement later that year, she actually came out of retirement in 2019. Returning to the court undoubtedly sounds like a decision she doesn’t regret, especially as her and fellow Dutch player Diede de Groot claimed their first AO title as a pair in 2024. Let’s see how Jiske goes when she returns to the AO this year.

Angélica Bernal – World No. 6

Angélica is a Colombian wheelchair tennis player who was inspired to enter the sport by trailblazers Ester Vergeer and Maria Sharapova. In a huge milestone, Angélica participated in the 2020 US Open for the first time, and made it to the semifinals in both the singles and doubles events.

Kgothatso Montjane – World No. 7

Kgothatso is a leading South African wheelchair tennis player, and has been on the Missing Perspectives radar for quite a while. She’s well-known for becoming the first Black South African woman to compete in wheelchair tennis at Wimbledon, and has consistently been ranked amongst the top players in the world.

She has reflected on her visits to South Africa and the school where she was educated. “They always wonder, ‘Are you sure that’s the disabled kid who grew up here?’” Montjane told the International Paralympic Committee. “Some don’t believe it but it gives people hope that it doesn’t really matter what your background is or where you grow up. If you really have a passion [about] something you can always pursue that.”

Kgothatso has stated that she faced discrimination growing up. “Unfortunately as a child you don’t realise or you don’t understand why people are looking at you differently,” Montjane said. “It used to be so disturbing because you are wondering, ‘What are you looking at? What makes me so different that you are looking at me like that?’”

Her life changed when she was sent to a boarding school for children with disabilities – and it was at this school that she discovered wheelchair tennis. Fast forward a few years and the accolades began to roll in. By 2007, Kgothatso was ranked No. 1 in South Africa, and by the end of 2018 she was the first African wheelchair tennis player to compete in all four Majors [Grand Slams] in a calendar year.

Australian Open Wheelchair Women’s Singles (Main Draw)

Australian Open Wheelchair Women’s Singles (Qualifying)