In a landmark decision for adaptive sports, the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) has officially recognised blind tennis, confirming its place on the competition programme for the 2027 IBSA World Games. The games are scheduled to take place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from 26 May to 6 June 2027.
This historic inclusion follows the exhibition tournament at the 2023 IBSA World Games that took place in Birmingham, UK, and a formal partnership with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between IBTA and IBSA in September 2025, a strategic move to drive the global growth and development of the sport. Crucially, this momentum has been further amplified by a parallel and reinforcing partnership between the IBTA and the International Tennis Federation (ITF/World Tennis), formalized through a joint MoU in October 2025.
Together, these strategic partnerships establish a unified, triple-pillar approach—uniting the Paralympic movement, the tennis establishment, and the blind-sport community—which significantly accelerates the path to gaining official Paralympic status by meeting key recognition criteria more rapidly and with greater institutional backing than ever before.
A New Era for Blind Tennis
The official inclusion of blind tennis in the IBSA World Games—the world’s largest multi-sport event dedicated exclusively to blind and partially sighted athletes—marks a significant milestone. For years, the sport has been gaining global momentum, now being played in more than 30 countries across all continents. The Tashkent Games will provide an unparalleled platform for the world’s best blind tennis athletes to compete at the highest level.
The event is expected to be the most ambitious edition yet, with over 2,000 athletes from around the world anticipated to compete. The Tashkent Games will also be a crucial opportunity for blind tennis players to earn valuable world ranking points, with the event designated as a “Tier 1” tournament, the highest level of competition.
The sport’s profile has been steadily rising. In a historic moment, the 2026 Australian Open hosted the inaugural Blind and Low Vision Tennis Showdown at Melbourne Park. This year features more sanctioned tournaments than the previous four years combined, culminating in the IBTA World Blind Tennis Championships, which takes place in Vilnius, Lithuania, from 23–29 August.
The path to the IBSA World Games has been paved by years of dedication from athletes and advocates. IBTA is also working closely with IBSA to integrate blind tennis into the IBSA system and to move its administrative functions to Bonn, Germany, where the IBSA headquarters are located.
Further information regarding the 2027 IBSA World Games’ competition programme, technical regulations, accreditation, accommodation, transport, and key operational deadlines will be issued via official IBSA communication channels as planning progresses.