Nationality: Japan
Inducted: 2024
Notable Record(s):
- Most Paralympic wheelchair tennis singles titles won (male)
- First wheelchair tennis player to complete a "Career Grand Slam" in singles (male)
- First wheelchair tennis player to complete a "Career Golden Slam" in singles (male)
- First wheelchair tennis player to complete a "Career Super Slam" in singles (male)
An ICON because...
Shingo Kunieda was only nine when he was diagnosed with a spinal tumour that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Two years later, at the age of 11, his mother encouraged him to pursue wheelchair tennis: a choice that would transform his life forever.
After a stellar debut during the 2007 Australian Open, Shingo can flaunt an almost immaculate (and unprecedented) winning streak: six Paralympic medals, with four golds from Athens 2004 to Tokyo 2020, and 50 Grand Slam titles.
Known for his strength and incredible games, the record holder spent 582 weeks topping the charts for men’s wheelchair singles. After conquering Wimbledon in 2022, he added three more titles to his ever-growing list of records.
The tennis champion retired in 2023, at the apex of his career and vastly topping men's rankings.
