Ratzlaff to Play in Parapan American Games

Wichita native Casey Ratzlaff will play for the U.S. in the Parapan American Games August 24-30 in Lima. Ratzlaff, 21, is currently ranked No. 25 in singles and No. 34 in doubles in the ITF world wheelchair rankings and is 23-9 on the year in singles play. He competed for the U.S. in the recent BNP Paribas World Team Cup in Israel and has won three ITF Futures Series wheelchair singles titles in 2019.

The Pan American Games are a summer sports competition for countries in North, South and Central America held every four years in the year prior to the Olympic Games. The Games will feature men’s and women’s singles and doubles and mixed doubles competition on the red clay courts of Lima’s Lawn Tennis Club. More than 6,000 athletes from 41 countries are expected to compete across 36 sports in this year’s Games. The Parapan American Games will feature 1,850 athletes, with wheelchair tennis, featuring men’s and women’s singles and doubles and quad singles and doubles, as one of its 17 sports.

All Pan American and Parapan American Games roster nominations are pending final approval of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

USTA National Coaches Adam Peterson (women) and Eric Nunez (men) will coach the U.S. Pan American team. Jason Harnett and Paul Walker will coach the Parapan team.

Tennis has been contested at the Pan Am Games since 1951. Americans who have won the gold medal at the Pan Am Games include Althea Gibson (1959, singles), Arthur Ashe(1967, mixed doubles), Patrick McEnroe (1987, men’s doubles), Pam Shriver (1991, singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles), Paul Goldstein (1999, singles), and Irina Falconi (2011, singles).

The Pan American men’s entry list also includes current ATP Top 100 players Nicolas Jarry, of Chile, and Hugo Dellien, of Bolivia. The women’s field includes former Top-100 players Beatriz Haddad Maia, of Brazil, Rebeca Marino, of Canada, and Veronica Cepede Royg, of Paraguay.