Rob Shaw – Canadian Paralympic Committee

At his first multi-sport Games, Rob Shaw won the gold in the men’s quad category in wheelchair tennis at the 2019 Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru. Shaw did it in grand style as well, defeating world number-one David Wagner of the U.S., a player he had never beaten before. His classification, quad tennis, was included at the Parapan Ams for the first time in 2019.

With that win, he made Canadian tennis history by becoming the first player, in stand-up or wheelchair tennis, to win a multi-sport medal in singles competition.

Unfortunately the pandemic ended that successful momentum he had going into Tokyo and he fell in the round of 16 in his Paralympic Games debut Shaw said it was important for him to train at home and designed a successful plan with his support team.

As of October 2023, Shaw is ranked No. 9 in the quad division. In January he reached a career high sixth. He has won 22 ITF singles and 22 ITF doubles titles in his career. In 2023, he competed at each of the four Grand Slams and was a doubles finalist at Wimbledon and Roland Garros.   

Shaw reached the Top 10 world rankings in the men’s singles quad category for the first time in 2018, after he made his biggest career final at the ITF 1 Series Birmingham Classic event. At the end of 2019 he was ranked ninth in the world.

He has represented Canada at the World Team Cup tennis event, which brings together teams from around the world, for the past few years. Canada finished sixth in the quad division in 2019.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2020 Paralympic Games… 2019 gold medal at Parapan American Games

PERSONAL

Completed his PhD in Health and Exercise Sciences at the University of British Columbia … Coached tennis from the age of 15 to 21, including stand-up and wheelchair tennis…. Injured in a diving accident at the age of 21, becoming partially paralyzed from the neck down…. Started playing wheelchair tennis after his accident.

NOTABLE INTERNATIONAL RESULTS

2020 Paralympic Games Quad singles round of 16

2019 Parapan American Games Quad singles 1st