Anderson Parker thought his career was over... until a Facebook post changed everything
Two years ago Anderson Parker believed his wheelchair tennis career was over, but now ahead of his debut Paralympics, he has one particular Facebook post to thank for turning it all around.
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If not for the Facebook algorithm, Anderson Parker might have been lost to wheelchair tennis forever.
A star junior who once reached as high as number six in the world, the Sydney-sider was declassified from the sport after a change in the rules.
But one day in 2022, he stumbled upon a Facebook post revealing the classification rules had been changed.
He just knew he had to get back on the court. In the space of under three years, he’s gone from dreaming of a return to a Paralympic Games debut in Paris.
Parker will compete in the singles and doubles with Ben Weekes as Australia’s two representatives in the sport after Heath Davidson withdrew to be with his ill mother.
“It feels weird when people say ‘you’re a Paralympian now’,” Parker said.
“Once I saw the post, I got straight onto it and reached out to the classifier, it’s all happened in such a short time.
“We were fortunate enough to get a wildcard to the Australian Open earlier in the year and it’s been a real springboard for us.
“There’s been a lot of travelling – European tournaments, Malaysia, Morocco, it’s taken a lot for us to be here.”
Parker and Weekes are currently ranked 36th in the world for the doubles, the highest they have been.
Ahead of his debut at one of tennis’ most iconic venues, Roland Garros, Parker said he couldn’t be more privileged to learn from his teammate.
“I’m training with him every day we’re back at Homebush,” he said.
“His level has helped me push and get to his standard. He’s shown me the path to get to the top level.
“Now we’re prioritising the doubles and we supplement each other’s games.
“He’s very good at the net and I’m always pushing to get everything back.”
While Parker might only be three years into his senior career after returning to the sport, he’s also aware of the opportunity he has to inspire future generations.
“A lot of our players are young now and it’s good to see so many young faces,” he said.
“I’m now sort of in a position where they start looking up to me, which forces me to be better and better each day.”
Parker’s Paralympics start with a single match against Argentinian Ezequiel Casco on Friday.
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