Heath Davidson

Heath Arthur Davidson, OAM (born 9 May 1987) is an Australian quad wheelchair tennis player. He represented Australia in at the 2016 Rio Paralympics,[2][3] where he teamed up with Dylan Alcott to win the Men's Quad Doubles gold medal.[4]

Heath Davidson
2016 Australian Paralympic Team Portrait
Country (sports) Australia
Born (1987-05-09) 9 May 1987
Rosebud, Victoria, Australia
Singles
Career record87–64 (57.6%)[1]
Highest rankingNo. 4 (16 April 2018)[1]
Current rankingNo. 6[1]
Other tournaments
Paralympic GamesQF (2016)
Doubles
Career record82–29 (73.9%)[1]
Highest rankingNo. 2 (26 March 2018)[1]
Current rankingNo. 3[1]
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open'W (2018, 2019, 2020)
Masters DoublesW (2019)
Medal record
Men's wheelchair tennis
Representing  Australia
Paralympic Games
2016 Rio de Janeiro Men's Quad Doubles

Personal

Davidson was born on 9 May 1987.[1] He contracted viral transverse myelitis at the age of five months and this led to paraplegia.[5] He attended Parkdale Secondary College in Melbourne.[5]

Tennis

Davidson started playing wheelchair tennis at the age of 14.[5] In 2001, At the Australian Disabled Games in Queensland he won a bronze medal in wheelchair tennis and two silver medals for table tennis.[5] After ten years he retired from the sport.[6]

After Davidson returned to wheelchair tennis, he teamed with Dylan Alcott to win the prestigious BNP Paribas World Team Cup held in Tokyo, Japan in May 2016. They upset Great Britain in the final.[2] Davidson and Alcott won the Men's Quad Doubles gold medal at the Rio Paralympics.[4] They defeated the reigning champions David Wagner and Nick Taylor in the gold medal match 4–6, 6–4, 7–5.[4][7] In the Men's Quad Singles, Davidson lost to Andy Lapthorne (GBR) 0–2 (1–6, 2–6) in the quarter-finals.[4]

In May 2017, Davidson won his first international quad singles title by winning the Korea Open.[8] In 2019, Davidson and his partner Niels Vink won the 2019 Wheelchair Tennis Masters in quad doubles.[9]

Recognition

Davidson won the Variety Australia Young Sports Achievers Award in 2003 with Dylan Alcott.[10] In 2016, he shared Tennis Australia's Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability with doubles partner Dylan Alcott.[11] He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2017.[12]

Grand Slam tournament finals

Quad doubles: 4 (3 titles, 1 runner-up)
Result Year Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss2017Australian OpenHard Dylan Alcott Andrew Lapthorne
David Wagner		3–6, 3–6
Winner2018Australian OpenHard Dylan Alcott Andrew Lapthorne
David Wagner		6–0, 6–7(5–7), [10–6]
Winner2019Australian Open (2)Hard Dylan Alcott Andrew Lapthorne
David Wagner		6–3, 6–7(6–8), [12–10]
Winner2020Australian Open (3)Hard Dylan Alcott Andrew Lapthorne
David Wagner		6–4, 6–3

References
  1. "Heath Davidson". International Tennis Federation website. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  2. "KELLERMAN, WEEKES NAMED IN PARALYMPIC TEAM". Tennis NSW website. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  3. "Paralympic glory in sight for Australia's wheelchair tennis athletes". Australian Paralympic Committee website. Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  4. "Heath Davidson". Rio Paralympics Official site. Archived from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  5. Baskett, Sarah (29 November 2011). "Heath has a ball on court". Herald Sun.
  6. "Heath Davidson". Australian Paralympic Committee website. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  7. Walsh, Scott (14 September 2016). "2016 Rio Paralympics: Aussie Dylan Alcott, Heath Davidson win tennis gold in quad doubles". Adelaide Advertiser. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  8. "AUSSIE RESULTS DAILY UPDATE, 29 MAY 2017". Tennis Australia website. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  9. "op seeds win two of three Doubles titles". International Tennis Federation. 27 November 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  10. "Variety Awards". Variety Australia website. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  11. "Alcott awarded 2016 Newcombe Medal". Tennis Australia website. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  12. "OAM Final Media Notes (A-E)" (PDF). Governor General of Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 January 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
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