On April 25th, blind and low-vision players gathered for Southern California’s first-ever BLV tennis competition, featuring athletes across multiple vision classifications, from fully blind players to those with partial sight. The matches looked different from traditional tennis—smaller courts, audible balls, raised boundary lines—but the competitiveness felt exactly the same.
Players in B1 through B4 categories are allowed varying numbers of bounces depending on their level of visual impairment. Instead of tracking the ball visually, players locate it by sound.
“What’s different is the language that you have to use,” coach Dan Aubuchon said when asked about how he’s had to adapt his coaching style to fit the needs of those with eyesight impairments. “You can’t demonstrate and tell people to watch what you do. You have to teach players how to track the ball through hearing.”
Aubuchon, 68, knows firsthand how life-changing the sport can be. A longtime tennis coach who spent decades teaching with Peter Burwash Intemational, Aubuchon lost most of his vision following complications from Type 2 diabetes in 2021. After months of severe depression and isolation, he discovered blind tennis and began running weekly BLV clinics in Indian Wells, CA.
One of Aubuchon’s students, Will Rogers, captured first place in the B3 division here, after more than a year of training together. Rogers had never competed in any tennis event, let alone a BLV tournament.
“Will made some incredible shots,” Aubuchon said. “It was really terrific to experience the joy and camaraderie of all the players that participated.”
According to the USTA, BLV tennis is one of the fastest growing adaptive sports in the world, with expanding opportunities to play locally, regionally, nationally, and even globally. With coaches like Aubuchon spearheading the push, BLV tennis isn’t just an adaptive sport, it’s a life-changing one, too.
For Aubuchon, the social aspect of blind tennis may matter as much as the competition itself: “Blind people tend to be the most shut in,” he said. “This gets people out socially. It’s great fun.”
Scott Cameron played professional tennis for four years. He lives in NYC and works in sports, news, and all things creative.