PLAYER PROFILE

Ben Weekes

  • Age39
  • Born20 September 1984
  • Birth PlaceSydney, New South Wales
  • LivesSydney, New South Wales
  • PlaysRight-handed
  • CoachVernon Cheung

On court

  • Began playing tennis at age five, and wheelchair tennis aged 16
  • Favourite surface is hard court
  • Competed in the Junior World Cup in 2002
  • Captured his maiden ITF title in 2002, winning the NSW Open
  • Represented Australia at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens; went on to compete in four more Paralympics (Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020)
  • Loves the Paralympics because of their special significance – they’re only held once every four years and it’s a chance to represent Australia
  • Claimed six ITF titles in 2004, with four coming on home soil
  • Broke into the top 10 for the first time in 2007
  • Ended every season from 2005-2013 ranked inside the ITF top 20
  • Made his Wimbledon debut at the 2012 event
  • Won biggest career singles title at ITF 2 Series event in South Africa (May 2012)
  • Won seven ITF Futures Series titles across 2021-22, his first professional titles since 2019
  • Finished the 2021 and 2022 seasons at world No.25, his highest year-end ranking since 2018
  • Ultimate ambitions are to win Grand Slam titles, a Paralympic gold medal and to attract more recognition for wheelchair tennis in Australia
  • Favourite tournament is the Sardinia Open in Italy due to the weather, friendly staff and his strong history at the event
  • Won Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability award in 2013 at the Newcombe Medal, Australian Tennis Awards
  • Favourite player is Gustavo Kuerten; tennis hero is Serena Williams

Off court

  • Enjoys travelling overseas to disadvantaged countries to promote equality and inclusion in the community and in disability tennis
  • Plays the piano and has studied music to a very high level, as well as performing at the Sydney Opera House
  • Brothers are Simon, Scott and Lachlan
  • His mother, Cathy, is a teacher, while his father, David, is an aircraft engineer
  • Favourite city is Sydney, which he loves coming home to after lots of travelling

Ben Weekes in the news

Australian teams looking to qualify for World Team Cup
The Australian team at the World Team Cup Asian Qualification event in Thailand.
15 March, 2024

Australia's leading wheelchair tennis athletes in the men's open and quad division are competing in Thailand this week.
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Davidson cruises to doubles semifinal at Australian Open 2024
Heath Davidson in action at Australian Open 2024. Picture: Tennis Australia
24 January, 2024

Australia's Heath Davidson makes an emphatic start to his Australian Open 2024 doubles campaign alongside Canadian partner Robert Shaw.
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Storm Hunter chasing semifinal spot at Australian Open 2024
January 17: Storm Hunter (AUS) plays Laura Siegemund (GER) at John Cain Arena during the 2024 Australian Open on Wednesday, January 17, 2024. Photo by TENNIS AUSTRALIA / AARON FRANCIS
23 January, 2024

World No.1 doubles star Storm Hunter is among 14 Aussies scheduled to compete on day 11 at Australian Open 2024.
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Davidson charges into quarterfinals at Australian Open 2024
Heath Davidson in action at Australian Open 2024. Picture: Getty Images
23 January, 2024

Australia's top-ranked quad wheelchair player Heath Davidson makes a winning start to his Australian Open 2024 singles campaign.
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