Andy Lapthorne slams US Open authorities for canceling wheelchair event in 2024

Britain’s wheelchair tennis star Andy Lapthorne has slammed the US Open authorities for cancelling the special event next year.

The fourth and final Grand Slam of the year will not have a category of wheelchair tennis in 2024.

The decision has been taken as the dates of the Paralympic Games in Paris are clashing with the dates of the US Open.

The decision did not go down well with the 32-year-old who called the authorities ‘lazy’.

“It just feels like it’s very lazy at times to just say, ‘Oh well, we just won’t have the event’,” he said. “I’ve tried to go down all the right avenues. I’ve spoken to the ITF and Stacey Allaster, the US Open tournament director. It’s banging your head against a brick wall stuff at the moment.”

This is now the first time the Paralympic Games have clashed with the US Open as the same has happened in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020 as well.

The big problem for the players will be the fact that they will not be able to take home a significant amount of money after the cancellation of the event.

On the other hand, the Paralympic Games do not give lucrative amounts of money to the players who end up winning the medals.