Esther Vergeer Celebrates 10 Years Unbeaten

Written by: Staff on 30th January 2013

Esther Vergeer Celebrates 10 Years Unbeaten

epa03384315 Dutch Esther Vergeer celebrates after beating her compatriot Jiske Griffioen in their women's singles semi final of the tennis competitions on the centre court at Eton Manor during the London 2012 Paralympic Games in London, Britain, 05 September 2012. Vergeer won the match. EPA/GERRY PENNY |

Dutch wheelchair tennis star Esther Vergeer is celebrating ten years without a defeat on the international wheelchair tennis circuit today. Vergeer, 31 years old from Woerden, has won 470 consecutive matches since she was defeated by Australian Daniele di Toro in Sydney on January 30, 2003.

Vergeer is currently taking part in a Johann Cruyff Foundation trip to South Africa to mark the 10th anniversary of the Cruyff Foundation’s involvement in the Wheelchair Tennis Development Fund. The week-long trip will include visits to on-going projects in Elaansdorn and Johannesburg. South Africa was one of the first countries to be supported by the Development Fund.

Vergeer started to play wheelchair tennis at the age of 12 after surgery on her spinal cord went wrong. Vergeer became world No. 1 for the first time in 1999 and has gone on to dominate the sport winning 169 titles. She has been named ITF Wheelchair World Champion for the last 13 years.

In the last 10 years Vergeer has won a total of 120 successive tournaments, beaten 73 different opponents, won 95 matches 60 60 and dropped only 18 sets of tennis. She has faced only one match point – against fellow Dutchwoman Korie Homan in the women’s gold medal match at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.

Only one professional athlete in sporting history is known to have a longer winning streak than Vergeer. Pakistan squash player Jahangir Khan won 555 consecutive matches, although he was only undefeated for five-and-a-half years (1981-86).

Vergeer said: “I am impressed I got this far. I sometimes still cannot believe that in all these years I did not have a breakdown. I am proud and I am going to celebrate. I am pleased to link it in with visiting South Africa to celebrate the ten years of the Wheelchair Tennis Development Fund with the Cruyff Foundation.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: 10 years unbeaten, Cruyff Foundation, Dutch tennis news, Esther Vergeer, Sports, Tennis News, Wheelchair Tennis, Wheelchair Tennis Development Fund