With WTA Charities partnering with the Special Olympics, it came as no surprise that a few WTA players advocated for the importance of diversity and inclusivity in sports at events in Berlin and Orlando this week.
At the bett1 Open in Berlin on Thursday,
Gabriela Dabrowski, ranked No.6 in doubles and a Champion Ambassador for Special Olympics, and
Andrea Petkovic, joined Special Olympics athletes in warm-ups, drills and Unified tennis activities providing an inspirational experience helping to develop skills like discipline and teamwork.
The bet11 Open in Berlin kicks off Monday featuring a majority of the Top 10 players as well as Dabrowski and Petkovic.
Thursday’s event highlighted the upcoming Special Olympics German National Games in Berlin on June 19 -24, 2022, where nearly 4,000 athletes will compete in 20 sports in the nation’s capital. The National Games are an important milestone in preparation for the Special Olympics World Games, the world's largest inclusive sports event, which will be hosted in Berlin in 2023.
Across the Atlantic,
Madison Keys, current World No.23, stopped by the Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando where she cheered on and gave some tips to Liza Ambrosini, a Special Olympics athlete she surprised on a video call last year. Gaby Dabrowski also sent her support to athletes at the USA Games with a personal video message.
WTA Charities and the Special Olympics have been working together since 2017 collaborating on ways to engage athletes from both organizations. In tandem with the WTA’s commitment to equality, Special Olympics uses the power of sport as a catalyst for change helping people with intellectual disabilities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, build confidence and create friendships on and off the playing field.
