Did you see what the Google search page served up Monday and Tuesday? The latest Google Doodle showed two birds—one brown and the other blue—playing tennis in wheelchairs at the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris, France. And these birds were quite animated, literally. This animated cartoon showed the birds hitting the ball back and forth with their rackets and commemorated the wheelchair tennis tournament that’s going on now at the Paris Paralympics 2024.
Wheelchair tennis has been one of the fastest growing wheelchair sports in the world. Over the past five decades since it first became an official sport, wheelchair tennis and its continuing surge in popularity have shown that tennis is not just for the birds. It’s not just for people with certain capabilities, either. It’s become an increasingly inclusive sport, accessible to people across many different ages, conditions and life situations. The World Health Organization estimates that around 80 million people or 1% of the world’s population require wheelchairs for mobility.
All of this has been quite inspirational to many around the world. Therefore, it’s fitting that the Google Doodle page dropshot the following caption under the animation: “Ace attitudes and stellar serves. Wheelchair Tennis starts today at Stade Roland-Garros!” And you don’t have to ace a tennis quiz to know that Roland Garros Stadium and its famed red clay courts serve as the annual site of the French Open. This is where the wheelchair tennis events of the 2024 Summer Paralympics will continue through September 7.