Wheelchair Tennis is born. Governance was provided by the National Foundation of Wheelchair Tennis (NFWT), and the sport's international presence began with the launch of the World Team Cup in 1985—the equivalent of the Davis Cup and BJK Cup for Wheelchair Tennis. The game flourished at the grassroots level in the U.S., propelled by the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) Camp system which successfully expanded the sport's foundation.

In 1988, the sport was featured as an "exhibition" at the Paralympic Games in Seoul, Korea. Four years later, at the 1992 Barcelona Paralympic Games, Wheelchair Tennis achieved full "medal" status. American Randy Snow made history, winning the inaugural singles gold medal and partnering with the sport's founder, Brad Parks, to secure the first-ever doubles gold medal awarded in Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis. Later in 1992, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) began the first international WC tour with eleven tournaments. The expansion continued in 1993 with the publication of the first "coaching" manual on the sport, authored by Dr. Bal Moore and Randy Snow. In 1994, Holland hosted the debut of the year-end NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters in Eindhoven. The decade concluded with the U.S. hosting the Atlanta Paralympic Games in 1996.

The ITF became the sole global governing body for the sport in 1998 after absorbing the International Wheelchair Tennis Federation (IWTF). Also in 1998, the "quad" division was introduced to the World Team Cup in Barcelona, Spain — ultimately becoming a full medal sport at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) also made history in 1998 by absorbing the National Foundation of Wheelchair Tennis (NFWT), making it the first national governing body (NGB) worldwide to take on the governance of a Paralympic sport. The inclusion of Wheelchair Tennis in Grand Slam events began in 2002 with the Australian Open. The U.S. Open and Wimbledon followed in 2005 and the French Open shortly after in 2006. Further demonstrating its commitment to the sport, the USTA created the first "National Manager" and "Head Coach" positions for Wheelchair Tennis by an NGB in 2003.

In the United States, development continued across grassroots grants, collegiate Wheelchair Tennis programs, local programming initiatives, all-comers camps, and coaching education. Globally, the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour expanded rapidly, fueled by the success of the Paralympic Games in Beijing (2008), London (2012), and Rio de Janeiro (2016). The World Team Cup celebrated its 30th Anniversary in 2015. And in 2016, the ITF Wheelchair Tour total prize money surpassed $2 million (USD) for the first time ever.

In 2017, the launch of the USTA National Campus in Orlando, FL, provided the sport with the singular opportunity to secure a dedicated training base. In 2019, Player Development formally welcomed and integrated "high-performance" Wheelchair Tennis into its framework. This integration prompted a renewed focus on expanding junior participation, developing collegiate wheelchair programming, and enhancing coaching education. In 2021, Wheelchair Tennis became one of the primary strategic pathways and goals of all USTA business units. This landmark achievement represents a first for a NGB with a Paralympic sport. In 2022, the U.S. Open expanded the draw sizes for both the men's and women's divisions (followed by the quads in 2023) to sixteen participants. Furthermore, the U.S. Open became the first Grand Slam to include a "Junior WC Championships" accompanied by a substantial increase in prize money to its highest level ever for a Grand Slam event. Building on this momentum, the prestigious Orange Bowl Junior Championships expanded in 2025 to incorporate the Junior Wheelchair Masters.