Texan Keegan Ratliff to Play During US Open Exhibition

Competing at the Standing Adaptive Open was an incredible experience for Keegan to meet players from around the world with many different abilities. 

“It was a really good experience,” he said. “It opened my eyes […] I'm not the only one that works through disabilities and [am] pretty much just like them. You can just get out there, and you don't have to worry about anyone judging you or anything. You just play and everyone's fine with it.”

Months later, Wendy received a call from Cindy asking if Keegan would play again, but this time on one of the biggest tennis stages in the world: an exhibition at the 2023 US Open on Saturday, September 9. 

“I am not gonna lie, I was speechless for about 40 seconds,” she said. “I wasn't expecting it.”

She said she thought the call from Cindy would be an invite to the 2023 Para-Standing Open, slated for December in Dallas. But this was much bigger.

“She said, ‘How would you like to go to New York?’ I was like, ‘New York?! For what?!’ and then she said, ‘To the US Open […] We want to know if Keegan would want to do an exhibition match,’” Wendy said. “It’s a little overwhelming, but I think it's just such a great opportunity and just to be able to advocate for other people. It's touching and overwhelming.”

When Benzon was told that there would be a para-standing exhibition at the US Open, she immediately thought of asking Keegan to play.

“I chose Keegan because [his amputation] is below the knee, and he's a very good player, an excellent player. But also because he was a kid, a junior that could really help show other kids that this is a kid out there doing it. A hopefully some will see [the expo] and say ‘I'm a kid, and I can do the same thing,’” she said.

Alongside existing avenues such as wheelchair tennis, Para-Standing and Standing Adaptive tennis offer more opportunities for disabled athletes to compete. Benzon said exhibitions like the one at the 2024 US Open will continue to highlight new ways for people of all abilities to play the game. 

“This is something that I've been advocating for since 2017, when we first held our [para-standing] tournament in Houston," she said. “It's just been a great ride, and I'm just excited that not only the USTA, but all the other tennis federations across the country—across the world—are starting to say, ‘Hey, yeah, there might be something to this.’ The more that we can advocate for it on big stages like the US Open, the better.”

Wendy might be more nervous than her son in New York, but she’s thrilled by the opportunity to showcase another way for athletes like Keegan to play tennis. 

“There are people like Keegan who don't want to only play in a wheelchair,” she said. “Prosthetics have just changed every sport. They are so different now than they were 20 or 30 years ago, and they’re giving [athletes] the ability to run and chase those balls down just like anybody else.”

Keegan, like his favorite tennis player, Roger Federer, appeared cool facing the prospect of competing in Arthur Ashe Stadium. He’s no stranger to competition—he came in second in the 2023 Texas 2A mixed doubles tournament—and said he loves his forehand and his serve (when it’s working well). He also offered a few words to young players who might see him competing in the exhibition: 

“Just keep going. If you want something, you work at it and do it every day. You can become whatever you want. You can do whatever you want.”