Seventeen-year-old Ben Wenzel became the first Australian to win a junior wheelchair Grand Slam match in convincing style on Wednesday.
Melbourne, VIC, 22 January 2025 | Jackson Mansell
Ben Wenzel made history on Wednesday morning, becoming the first Australian to win a junior wheelchair Grand Slam match.
The 17-year-old secured an emphatic 6-0 6-1 victory over Brazilian Luiz Calixto to even his Australian Open 2025 ledger. Earlier in the round-robin tournament, Wenzel lost in straight sets to Alexander Lantermann, the No.2 seed from Germany.
The inaugural major boys’ wheelchair singles tournament is a testament to the growth of wheelchair tennis around the world, a platform to inspire the next generation.
“Yesterday we had All Abilities Day here, and we had, I think, over 20 kids come to the Come and Try [session],” Wenzel said.
“To see wheelchair tennis growing in Australia and around the world is just awesome and it gives us current wheelchair players more people to play against, and those people then allow the sport to get into bigger and better places like we did with wheelchair tennis this year.
“Having those people come and see me play at the AO and inspiring the younger generation is really, really important, and I’m really lucky that I’m in a position to do that.”
“I was ready to make history.”
Ben Wenzel talks us through the moment he became the first Aussie player to win a junior wheelchair match at the Australian Open.#AO2025 pic.twitter.com/avXHXVeyCM
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) January 22, 2025
The 17-year-old has thrived under the mentorship of Australian quad singles No.1 Heath Davidson. Wenzel hopes he can pay that advice forward to the stars of tomorrow.
“He was one of the first wheelchair tennis players that in that younger stage [I] was able to meet and he spoke to me and now he’s with me, sometimes when I’m down here in Melbourne so his mentorship and guidance is really important,” said Wenzel on his relationship with the Wimbledon 2023 finalist.
“His guidance and mentorship allows me to look [at] tennis as being fun and exciting. It’s really great that he has such an impact on us younger players and I guess I’m just trying to carry that forward into the next generation.”
> MORE: Woodman claims milestone win at AO 2025
The 37-year-old Davidson is happy to pass on his wealth of knowledge.
“I’m getting old,” he joked. “My job is to get these next-gens (the next generation) up and about and give back to them because I don’t know how long I’ve got left in this body. So, anything that I can do to help the younger generation succeed and be able to come and play the Aussie Open and make a living off wheelchair tennis, that’s my job now.”
Davidson commends the work ethic of the Queensland-based Wenzel, highlighting him as a player to watch.
“I remember going up to Cairns about seven years ago and we went up there to do some demos and stuff, and he was there and he was keen and just wanted it,” Davidson said on his first interaction with the boys’ world No.7. “I could see him having a really bright future. He’s so dedicated and keen to get better, which is really awesome to see.”
Another player under Davidson’s guidance, Jin Woodman, ended his maiden Australian Open campaign on Wednesday, falling to world No.4 Ahmet Kaplan 6-2 6-4.
Aussies in action – Australian Open
TODAY’S RESULTS
Quad wheelchair singles, quarterfinals
[4] Ahmet Kaplan (TUR) d [WC] Jin Woodman (AUS) 6-2 6-4
Boys’ wheelchair singles, round robin
Benjamin Wenzel (AUS) d Luiz Calixto (BRA) 6-0 6-1
COMING UP
Boys’ wheelchair singles, round robin
Benjamin Wenzel (AUS) v [1] Charlie Cooper (USA)
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