Lucy Shuker

Lucy Jessica Shuker[1] BEM (born 28 May 1980[2]) is a British wheelchair tennis player[3] who is currently the highest ranked woman in the sport in Britain.[4][5] A previous singles and doubles National Champion, Shuker has represented Great Britain at four successive Paralympic Games, twice winning a bronze medal in the women's doubles and is former world doubles champion and World Team Cup silver medallist amongst a number of other national and international successes.

Lucy Shuker
BEM
Shuker at the 2015 US Open.
Country (sports) Great Britain
ResidenceFleet, Hampshire
Born (1980-05-28) 28 May 1980
Doha, Qatar
Turned pro2002
PlaysRight Handed
Official websitehttps://www.lucyshuker.com/
Singles
Career record446–290
Career titles31
Highest rankingNo.5 (25 March 2013)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenSF (2013, 2017, 2022)
French OpenSF (2007)
WimbledonQF (2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023)
US OpenQF (2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2023)
Other tournaments
Paralympic GamesQF (2012)
Doubles
Career record403–221
Career titles75
Highest rankingNo.3 (10 June 2013)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenF (2010, 2013, 2022)
French OpenSF (2008, 2009, 2016)
WimbledonF (2009, 2010, 2012, 2018, 2021)
US OpenSF (2013, 2015, 2017)
Other doubles tournaments
Masters Doubles(2016)
Paralympic Games Silver medal (2020)
World Team Cup Silver Medals (2013, 2014)
Bronze Medals (2012, 2015, 2018, 2019)

In 2008,[6] she competed in the singles and doubles events for the first time in Wheelchair tennis at the Beijing Paralympics.[7]

Shuker made history at the London 2012 Paralympics alongside fellow Briton Jordanne Whiley when the pair became the first women to win a medal for Great Britain in wheelchair tennis, coming from match point down to secure bronze in the women's doubles event.[8][9]

Shuker and Whiley retained their bronze medal status in the women's wheelchair doubles at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio.[10]

Early life

Shuker was born in Doha, Qatar, but grew up in Fleet, Hampshire. She comes from a badminton-playing family and started played badminton at an early age before going on to represent Hampshire County at national competitions, alongside her brother Matthew Shuker, who held a career high world ranking of no.43 in men's singles.[11] Shuker also had a love of horse riding until she had a motorbike accident at the age of 21 which left her paralysed from the T4 vertebra.[12]

Tennis career

Shuker started playing wheelchair tennis in 2002, less than 12 months after her life-changing motorbike accident.[13] She was introduced to the sport by former Quad World No.#1 Pete 'Quadfather' Norfolk during the process of buying her first wheelchair.

In 2013, Shuker became the first British wheelchair tennis player to compete at all four major Tennis Grand Slams in the same year when she competed at the US Open in New York, the same year that she obtained her highest singles ranking to date of world no.5.

In 2016, Shuker won her first Doubles Masters title, partnering Diede de Groot to the title.[14][15]

In 2018, she made a return to a Grand Slam final when she partnered Sabine Ellerbrock to reach the Wimbledon doubles final, and in 2021 she also reached the Australian Open doubles final with South African partner Kgothatso Montjane. In January 2019, Shuker and Montjane reached the semi-finals of the women's wheelchair doubles at the Australian Open, but were defeated by second seeds Marjolein Buis and Sabine Ellerbrock.[16]

In June 2021, she and Jordanne Whiley were among six tennis players named to represent the UK at the postponed 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.[17]

Shuker was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to sport.[18]

Personal life

Shuker graduated with a BSc Hons in the science and management of exercise and health from the University of Surrey in 2001.

In 2011, she was named the Vitalise Woman of Achievement, and collected the award from disability charity Vitalise in recognition of her achievements in the world of disabled sport.[19]

On 8 November 2017, Shuker was awarded an honorary doctorate of arts from Bournemouth University.[20]

Notes
  1. "King's Birthday Honours: Sarah Hunter and Ian Wright among those included". BBC Sport. 17 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  2. "Birthday's today". The Telegraph. 28 May 2013. Archived from the original on 28 May 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2014. Ms Lucy Shuker, tennis player; Paralympic bronze medallist wheelchair tennis doubles, London 2012, 33
  3. "Lucy Shuker – Tennis Foundation". Tennis Foundation. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  4. "Shuker reaches Sydney last eight". BBC Sport. 1 February 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2007.
  5. "Rankings" (PDF). ITA British. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2007.
  6. "ParalympicsGB | Lucy shuker". ParalympicsGB. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  7. "Shuker hopes for Beijing medals". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 September 2008.
  8. Sport, Telegraph (7 September 2012). "Paralympics 2012: Lucy Shuker and Jordanne Whiley survive match point to win bronze". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  9. "Shuker and Whiley fight back to claim bronze – LTA". www3.lta.org.uk. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  10. ontrack2016 (14 September 2016). "Day six review/Day seven preview of Rio 2016 Paralympics – OnTrack Magazine". OnTrack Magazine. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  11. "Customworqs". BadmintonCentral. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  12. "Lucy Shuker – #1 in Great Britain". Archived from the original on 15 December 2021.
  13. Coomes, Beth Rose and Phil (8 July 2017). "The tennis players who play by different rules". BBC News. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  14. "Cotterill, Lapthorne and Shuker net Doubles Masters titles – Tennis Foundation". Tennis Foundation. 7 November 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  15. "Wheelchair tennis: British trio land Doubles Masters crowns". BBC Sport. 7 November 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  16. "Australian Open 2019: GB's Lucy Shuker loses in wheelchair doubles semi-final". 25 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  17. Tennis365 (24 June 2021). "Reigning Paralympic champion Gordon Reid named in Team GB wheelchair squad for Tokyo". Tennis365. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  18. "No. 64082". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 June 2023. p. B35.
  19. "Shuker presented with Vitalise Woman of Achievement Award". 19 October 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  20. "Honorary Doctorate Lucy Shuker". Bournemouth University. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
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