Parks played an integral role in the development of wheelchair tennis, helping it become a global sport with Grand Slam and Paralympic status. 

The American was paralysed, aged 18 in 1976, after injuring himself at a freestyle skiing event in Utah. 

Parks began playing wheelchair tennis, beginning a promotional campaign of the sport in the United States in 1980 which eventually became international. 

In 1988, the International Wheelchair Tennis Federation (IWTF) was formed, with Parks as its President. 

IWTF was absorbed into the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in 1998, the same time the US Tennis Association (USTA) assumed responsibility for wheelchair tennis in the country. 

Parks won the first US Open wheelchair tennis title in 1980, beating fellow American Randy Snow. 

The duo went on the partner up and earn men’s doubles gold as wheelchair tennis made its Paralympic debut at Barcelona 1992, after which Parks decided to retire. 

"The sport has achieved more than I thought possible," Parks, who was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2010, said. 

"I have to say that the ITF, the USTA and the National Associations have done a remarkable job of helping grow the game. 

"I did not think it was possible that wheelchair tennis would be run by the national tennis bodies - this was unthinkable in the 1970s and 1980s.

"I never expected wheelchair tennis to be in the Paralympics, the Grand Slams or the International Tennis Hall of Fame, so it is way past what I could have imagined."

Parks also discussed the future of wheelchair tennis, and what he hoped to see in years to come.

"I would like to see more great wheelchair tennis tournaments be more well-known on their own merit, not as part of the pro game," he said to the ITF website.

"Our US Open in the 1980s and 1990s were a real 'happening' - all the players and people of the sport were there each year.

"I would love to see the athletes become more well-known worldwide, and appreciated for not only their life story but their extreme talents as athletes. 

"I would love to have live-streaming to a point where fans could tune in on a regular basis to the most important wheelchair tennis events. 

"And I would love to see more spectators attend and follow our players and the sport. 

"This, with more interest from sponsors and media coverage, would help take wheelchair tennis to the next level."

John Noakes of The Netherlands was recently given the ITF Brad Parks Award for 2020 due to his significant contribution to wheelchair tennis internationally.

The award is given to an individual or organisation in recognition of the impact they have made on the sport.

Noakes was IWTF treasurer when Parks was President.