Esther Vergeer is one of the greatest wheelchair tennis players of all time. She has been in a wheelchair since she was nine after an operation to relieve a brain haemorrhage left her legs unable to move.
She was the winner of the 2002 Laureus Disability Award and was a nominee in 2006 and 2007. She has totally dominated her sport for many years and 2007 was no exception. She won all her singles matches during the year, won four Grand Slam tournaments, remained No 1 in the singles rankings, won the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters and was a member of the Dutch women’s team which won the World Team Cup.