Established in Roman times, Woerden was a fortified city before developing into a municipality home to more than 50,000 inhabitants.

It is known for having the only cheese warehouse in The Netherlands, but it also holds a special place in wheelchair tennis.

The city is the birthplace of two of the greatest players to have ever graced the sport holding 84 major singles and doubles titles and nine Paralympic gold medals between them.

Esther Vergeer was born in Woerden in 1981 before going on to forge a stellar career in wheelchair tennis that saw her take the game to new heights and set records that will be difficult to surpass.

Diede de Groot is Woerden’s latest product - a 26-year-old player who has the possibility of matching or even bettering the extraordinary achievements of Vergeer.

Jiske Griffioen, a 19-time major champion in singles and doubles and two-time Paralympic gold medallist, was also born in Woerden and brought up in Oudewater where de Groot once resided.

Speaking to people within wheelchair tennis in The Netherlands here, it appears to be coincidental that Woerden has created such astonishing talents in the sport.

But it is clear it is no coincidence that The Netherlands has become a hotbed for wheelchair tennis.

The Dutch have dominated the women’s singles and doubles events at the Paralympics, winning every title on offer since wheelchair tennis became a medal event 31 years ago.

Monique van den Bosch was the first to be crowned women’s singles champion at Barcelona 1992 before Maaike Smit followed at Atlanta 1996.

Vergeer proved unstoppable, triumphing at Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012, before Griffioen won at Rio 2016 and de Groot emerged victorious at Tokyo 2020 to maintain the Dutch dominance.

Ellen de Lange, who claimed bronze at Seoul 1988 when wheelchair tennis featured as a demonstration sport, has witnessed the growth of the game since she, Chantal Vandierendonck and Monique van den Bosch led the Dutch charge.

"For the women, we have been at the top since the beginning," de Lange, who is wheelchair tennis manager for the International Tennis Federation, told insidethegames.

"There was myself and two other Dutch players and then we had Esther Vergeer.

"When she was there, players from The Netherlands were trying to beat her so they got to the top too and now we have Diede de Groot and Aniek van Koot."

There is no doubt Vergeer has had a huge influence on the players of today.

Vergeer is not only a legend in wheelchair tennis but a sporting great.

She held top spot from October 2000 to January 2013, capturing seven Paralympic golds including four in singles and three in doubles and claimed 44 Grand Slam titles combined.

When she ended her career, she had gone 10 years undefeated, winning 470 matches in succession. 

Remarkable.

"The goddess of the game" is how one Dutch citizen I spoke to described her.

But the Royal Dutch Lawn Tennis Association (KNLTB) also needs to take a lot of credit for nurturing wheelchair tennis players and boosting the overall participation in the sport.

Robin Ammerlaan, who claimed men’s singles gold at Athens 2004 and silver at Beijing 2008, said the KNLTB had been essential to Dutch success.

"We were integrated very fast and very early into the National Federation which meant that we had the opportunity to train already with good, educated coaches," Ammerlaan told insidethegames.

"The facilities were also there and thanks to the KNLTB I can just be a member of any club in The Netherlands.

"At the time I started playing tennis, it was the second biggest sport in The Netherlands behind soccer.

"You had tennis courts everywhere and we were integrated and allowed to play in able-bodied tournaments.

"In the very beginning, they put it on their posters saying 'wheelchair tennis players are also invited'.

"Now, they have turned it around saying if you don’t want wheelchair players you have to put it on the posters but nobody does that.

"I can just go into my own city, my own club where I have always played, drink beer and play with able-bodied players which benefits the sport."

The National Tennis Centre, located in Amstelveen where the KNLTB has been based since August 2019, boasts 14 outdoor and 14 indoor courts with accessibility for wheelchair tennis.

According to the KNLTB, there are around 500 active wheelchair tennis players across The Netherlands with 60 clubs offering the Paralympic sport.

The KNLTB is also working with the Esther Vergeer Foundation, established in 2004, which aims to give children with a physical disability the possibility of joining a sports club, and it organises regular open days throughout the country.

"What is most important is that we are able to stimulate wheelchair tennis all over the country together with the Esther Vergeer Foundation," Lalique Stoutjesdijk, event manager at KNLTB, told insidethegames.

"When I was on the Board of my tennis club, I contacted the foundation because I wanted to have the possibility of providing wheelchair tennis, but I didn’t have the money to buy the wheelchairs or pay the trainers.

"They said that we can have an open day and we will take care of the wheelchairs.

"You will borrow them for one year and then afterwards we will find another solution.

"There are a lot of opportunities to play and start in the sport whereas probably in other countries that is not that common."

The sport of wheelchair tennis is becoming so popular in The Netherlands that able-bodied players are being given chances to have a go in the chair.

"We want to close the gap between the disabled and the abled persons," said Stoutjesdijk.

"People are experiencing it and seeing how difficult it is."

The inaugural European Para Championships has underlined the passion and success of wheelchair tennis in The Netherlands as fans flocked to the centre court situated at Schouwburgplein in the heart of Rotterdam.

The Dutch swept the board, winning all six gold medals with de Groot, Ruben Spaargaren and Niels Vink finishing with two titles each following their singles and doubles success.

Speaking after her women’s doubles victory along with van Koot, De Groot spoke of the special bond between the wheelchair tennis players.

"We’re just training really hard together," said de Groot.

"It’s really like teamwork, we know each other so well.

"We see each other more than our own family sometimes, so the teamwork really holds us together."

The European Para Championships was without British stars Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett who opted to skip the tournament as they prepare for the upcoming US Open.

Japan, France and Australia are other countries that have achieved plenty of wheelchair tennis success, especially in the men’s game.

But the Netherlands is the dominant force in both women’s and quad as its conveyor belt of top players remains unmatched.

I am sure Dutch talent spotters will be keeping a close eye on Woerden to see whether they can unearth another wheelchair tennis gem.