Wheelchair tennis is an integral part of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz

At this year's inclusion event, the performances of wheelchair athletes will be put even more centre stage. Christina Pesendorfer and Nico Langmann, the respective number one in wheelchair tennis in Austria, will be equipped with microphones and play a show match on Centre Court directly before the first semi-final on Saturday, 1 February, where they will share their impressions live with the audience.
 
After the first and second semi-final matches, all visitors will be able to see for themselves what wheelchair tennis feels like. Both people who rely on a wheelchair and tennis fans without a wheelchair can try out wheelchair tennis on Match Court 1 under the expert guidance of Christina Pesendorfer and Nico Langmann.
 
Upper Austrian Christina Pesendorfer is Austria's most successful wheelchair tennis player, Austrian national champion and is currently ranked 35th in the international wheelchair tennis world rankings: "I am delighted to be able to be part of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz again this year and to be able to present wheelchair tennis as part of a WTA 500 tournament. Being able to showcase wheelchair tennis on such a great stage is a great honour and I am very grateful for that. Visibility is the keyword here! Of course, I'm also looking forward to the matches, as the field is once again top class."
 
Nico Langmann is a multiple Austrian national champion in wheelchair tennis and is one of the top 15 best wheelchair tennis players in the world. With the "Nico Langmann Foundation", which he founded, he enables children with limited mobility who live in Austria to access sport by providing them with sports wheelchairs and sports equipment. "Wheelchair tennis is now an integral part of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz every year, making it an absolute pioneer in Austria. Many thanks to Sandra Reichel and her team for making diversity such a priority. I hope that many other tournaments will follow their example!"
 
Continuation of the cooperation with Volkshilfe Oberösterreich
The inclusion event at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz has become something of a tradition. The same applies to the cooperation with Volkshilfe Oberösterreich. 

"With the Inclusion Day, which has already become a tradition, the organisers of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz are promoting equality, respect and cooperation between people with and without disabilities. This is analogous to our Volkshilfe lebensART GmbH, which supports and accompanies people with disabilities on their way to a self-determined life with its programmes and services. It is therefore a matter of course and a pleasure for us Volkshelfer*innen to help organise this Inclusion Day once again," explains Jasmine Chansri, MBA Managing Director of Volkshilfe Oberösterreich.