2024 may be coming to a close, but the stories of remarkable achievements on the wheelchair tennis circuit continue to inspire. Thomas Venos, a prominent figure, wrapped up his year with a series of outstanding performances. The ITF tour made its final stop in Canada at the Bourassa Savaria International Open in Montreal. Here, the host nation showcased its strength, with two of the three official draws being won.

Unforgettable Moments in Wheelchair Tennis 2024

Thomas Venos: A Doubles Dominance

Venos reached both the men’s singles and doubles finals. In the doubles, he won the title with Charlie Cooper of the United States. The top-seeded pair won two out of their three matches, including a dominant 6-0, 6-0 victory in the final against Canada’s Shawn Courchesne and American Adil Boutahli. Their only challenge came in the semis when they were pushed to a match tiebreak by an Italian-American team, which they won 10-4. This doubles title was the 25-year-old’s eighth of the year on the ITF tour, a remarkable feat.In the singles, Venos was the top seed and won five out of the six sets he played, all in straight sets with a score of 6-0. However, in the final, he faced his doubles partner Cooper, who emerged victorious in straight sets.

Canadian Women’s Success

Canada’s Anne-Marie Dolinar won the women’s singles event. In a five-player round-robin, she and Britain’s Martha Harris each won their first three matches, setting up a decisive final. Dolinar narrowly edged out the win 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-3 to claim her first ITF singles title. “Today’s match was an absolute marathon,” said Dolinar after the win. “I stayed focused on my game plan and am so happy to have come away with the win. No better way to finish my 2024 season than with my first ITF singles title!”With only two pairs signed up for the women’s doubles, the event did not officially count as an ITF draw. Dolinar and fellow Canadian Natalia Lanucha beat Harris and American Ashley Sisti in the one match that was played.

Thomas Venos’ Career Highlights

Thomas Venos has been a force on the ITF wheelchair tour for several years. In 2024, it was his best season yet. He won a total of 11 titles, more than doubling his career total since his first win in 2017. Eight of these titles came in doubles, including five on home soil in Boucherville, Kamloops, Saint-Hyacinthe, Fredericton, and Montreal. All eight titles were with different partners. Prior to 2024, he had just six total ITF doubles titles.He also nearly doubled his total of singles titles. Coming into 2024 with four singles wins, he added three more this year. He won a pair of titles on home soil in Saint-Hyacinthe and Fredericton, as well as a title at the Credit Mutual Open in France. As a result of his success, he finishes 2024 at career-high rankings in both singles (No. 47) and doubles (No. 40).

Frédérique Bérubé Perron’s Breakthrough

18-year-old Frédérique Bérubé Perron made a significant impact in 2024. In July, she won her first ITF title in the women’s doubles in Kamloops. A week later in Vancouver, she won both the singles (her first on the ITF tour) and doubles titles. Later in the summer, she made history by becoming the first Canadian to qualify for the junior wheelchair draw at a Grand Slam event and reached the semifinals of the US Open girls wheelchair singles draw.Earlier in the year, she made her debut for Team Canada in the qualifying round of the World Team Cup. The 18-year-old finishes 2024 at No. 65 in the women’s singles rankings, one spot below the career-high she hit in October, and No. 7 in the junior rankings.

Rob Shaw’s Continued Success

While the younger Canadians were making their mark, Canada’s wheelchair stalwart Rob Shaw continued to add to his impressive resume. He won two singles titles in 2024, including the biggest win of his career at the ITF 1 Series Swiss Open in Geneva, and added five doubles trophies. Four of his doubles titles were at the ITF 1 series level, and the other was his first ITF Super Series title at the Japan Open. In January, he won his first-ever singles match in the main draw of a Grand Slam event at the Australian Open.The 35-year-old represented Canada at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris and got his first Paralympic match win as he reached the quarter-finals. At season’s end, he qualified for the NEC Wheelchair Singles Masters, the ITF wheelchair tour’s year-end championships. He finishes 2024 at No. 7 in the quad rankings, matching his career-best year-end finish.