Unexpected paralysis and depression led Rob Popelka to Wheelchair Tennis

Discovered a lifeline

Popelka was “absolutely awful” when he started but discovered a lifeline that lifted him from a dark place.

“I attribute wheelchair tennis to helping get me out of my depression and getting me off meds,” Popelka said. “That’s why it’s one of the things I’m probably most passionate about, because it helped me that much. So, if I can help someone else get involved, that’s what I try to do.”

For everything he’s done to give back to the sport, Popelka, 51, received the 2025 USTA Southern Wheelchair Excellence Award. Popelka has become a prominent resource in the section to help introduce wheelchair tennis to anyone interested.

He created a Facebook page in 2013 called “Wheelchair Tennis Atlanta,” which became a hub for connectivity and awareness among players and volunteers of all ages and abilities. Popelka scheduled his own free clinics and began advocating for others to improve their access to tennis.

Popelka realized how hard it was for players to get equipment and started writing grants to purchase new chairs. He has about 15 chairs he loans out to others, just like Harlon Matthews did for him when Popelka first started playing.

Launches BlazeSports America

Popelka helped launch the BlazeSports America Wheelchair Tennis program in Atlanta, and has served as a coach for the last six years. He also works with the Shepherd Center wheelchair tennis team.

“Rob has been much more than a coach to BlazeSports, he has been a true partner in building our Wheelchair Tennis program. From day one, he has believed in what this program could be and has poured his time, expertise, and heart into helping it grow,” said BlazeSports America Executive Director Dawn Churi. “He cares deeply about every athlete, about growing opportunities in the sport, and about the future of wheelchair tennis. Rob embodies the spirit of BlazeSports through his passion, humility, and commitment to inclusion, and his impact reaches far beyond the court.”

For as much as he’s done to elevate Wheelchair Tennis, Popelka humbly believes it pales in comparison to what others are doing.

“I look at the champions as the ones putting on the tournaments, running the programs and running the clubs that do stuff for us,” said Popelka, a senior director of accounting for Points of Light Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to volunteerism. “I talk great about wheelchair tennis and I’m always trying to get new players, but that’s not as hard as what they do.”

Popelka is grateful for everything Wheelchair Tennis has done for his life. At his lowest point, it provided him with an outlet and gave him the motivation to keep going. He’s tried to pay it back by encouraging anyone facing similar circumstances to grab a racket and discover the joy tennis can provide.

“We’re a very close-knit group and that sense of community is great,” Popelka said. “You learn all sorts of different things about your disability, especially if you are new at it. We can be competitive, but at the same time, we are also great friends, which makes it much more enjoyable.”