Korie Homan (born 16 June 1986 in de Wijk) is a Dutch former wheelchair tennis player. Homan won the gold medal in women's doubles at the 2008 Paralympics. In 2009, she completed the doubles Grand Slam by winning the Australian, French, Wimbledon and US titles with Esther Vergeer. In addition Homan has also had individual success in Grand Slams when she won the 2010 Australian Open title. Homan is a two-time Masters doubles champion and a former world number one.
Early life Homan was born to Jan and Gina Willem. She is the youngest of three girls, with Geke and Wienke her older sisters. Homan was involved in a car accident in her first year of Senior school at the age of 12 in 1998. In 2003, when she finished school she had her leg amputated.
Career Homan started to play wheelchair tennis in May 2000. During her first year of learning she went to an exhibition by Esther Vergeer and had a conversation with her coach Aad Zwaan. In September 2001 Homan started on the juniors and played tournaments in the Netherlands.
Homan finished 2003 with a singles ranking of 23 having been unranked at the start of the year.
At the start of 2004 Homan was part of the Dutch team that claimed the Junior world team cup, in Christchurch, New Zealand.http://www.itftennis.com/wheelchair/news/newsarticle.asp?articleid=14968 Homan followed this success up with a quarter final showing at the Australian Open, super series event. At the Czech Open Homan partnered Jiske Griffioen to second place in a five team round robin doubles tournament.
2006 started with Homan facing Esther Vergeer in the first round of the Wheelchair Classic 8's at the Australian Open.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article. ITF Tennis (25 January 2006). Retrieved 20 October 2011. Homan lost a rain interrupted match in straight sets.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article. ITF Tennis (27 January 2006). Retrieved 20 October 2011. Partnering Beth Arnoult-Ritthaler in the doubles, Homan reached the semifinal before losing to Vergeer and Griffioen.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article. ITF Tennis (28 January 2006). Retrieved 20 October 2011. At the Belgium Open, Homan reached both finals, losing to Vergeer in the singles,. ITF Tennis (23 July 2006). Retrieved 20 October 2011. but winning the doubles. In the final of the DaimlerChrysler Open Homan was whitewashed by Vergeer. In Italy at the Citta di Livorno Homan won both the singles and doubles titles.. ITF Tennis (3 September 2006). Retrieved 20 October 2011. At the 2006 US Open Homan reached the final of the doubles competition where she lost to Smit. The Atlanta Open saw Homan lose the singles final to Vergeer,Wheelchair Tennis – News Article. ITF Tennis (1 October 2006). Retrieved 20 October 2011. In the quarterfinals of the US Open Wheelchair Championships, Homan became the first player since 2004 to take a set of Esther Vergeer, in the quarterfinals as she lost in three sets.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article. ITF Tennis (6 October 2006). Retrieved 20 October 2011. The doubles saw Homan reach the final with Smit. Homan finished in fifth place for the Singles Masters,Wheelchair Tennis – News Article. ITF Tennis (18 November 2006). Retrieved 20 October 2011. and the runner up in the Doubles Masters with Shuker.
The 2007 season saw Homan be a losing singles finalist at Sydney, Pensacola, Jambes, Nottingham, Atlanta and the Masters.
2008 started with Homan losing both finals at the Australian Open.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article . ITF Tennis (25 January 2008). Retrieved 20 October 2011.. ITF Tennis (25 January 2008). Retrieved 20 October 2011. Homan then reached the final of the doubles in Sydney before the weather got the better of the tournament and left the final unplayed.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article . ITF Tennis (3 February 2008). Retrieved 20 October 2011. At the Florida Open Homan could not stop Vergeer winning a seventh title as she lost in the final.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article. ITF Tennis (13 April 2008). Retrieved 20 October 2011. Homan also reached the final of the doubles.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article. ITF Tennis (12 April 2008). Retrieved 20 October 2011. The next week at the Pensacola Open Homan reached the final again playing Vergeer and took the first set, but could not consolidate and lost the final. While she also made the doubles final, where her team won just 2 games.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article . ITF Tennis (20 April 2008). Retrieved 20 October 2011. Homan's team only won one more game in the final of the Japan Open. In the singles she met Vergeer in the final again, losing in two tight sets.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article . ITF Tennis (18 May 2008). Retrieved 20 October 2011. At Roland Garros Homan reached the final where she was beaten by Vergeer who hit over twice the number of winners than what she managed. Homan also finished as a losing finalist in the doubles.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article . ITF Tennis (6 June 2008). Retrieved 20 October 2011. Homan was then part of the team that retained the world team cup.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article . ITF Tennis (15 June 2008). Retrieved 20 October 2011. At the Belgium Open Homan teamed up with Vergeer and won the title in three sets in the final.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article. ITF Tennis (19 July 2008). Retrieved 20 October 2011. In the final of the singles Homan faced Vergeer again and lost in straight sets.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article . ITF Tennis (20 July 2008). Retrieved 20 October 2011. Homan reached both finals at the British Open and lost them both.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article. ITF Tennis (26 July 2008). Retrieved 20 October 2011.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article. ITF Tennis (27 July 2008). Retrieved 20 October 2011. In the final of the Mercedes Open Homan played Vergeer and took the first set for the 4th time between the two, and for the first time it was by a double break. However Vergeer came back and defeated Homan and defeated her in the final of the doubles.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article. ITF Tennis (3 August 2008). Retrieved 20 October 2011. Homan won her first title of the year in singles at the Swiss Open drafting Walraven in the final.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article. ITF Tennis (10 August 2008). Retrieved 20 October 2011. Homan paired up with Walraven to claim the doubles as well.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article. ITF Tennis (9 August 2008). Retrieved 20 October 2011. At the 2008 Summer Paralympics Homan reached the final where she played Vergeer. Homan held 2 match points to end Vergeer's 348 match winning streak. However Vergeer held on and Homan had to settle for silver.Wheelchair Tennis Day 7 Review: Defending champions prevail – The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games . En.paralympic.beijing2008.cn. Retrieved 20 October 2011.Paralympics 2008 – News Article . ITF Tennis (14 September 2008). Retrieved 20 October 2011. In the doubles Homan teamed up with Walraven. In the final they played Griffioen and Vergeer. They inflicted only for a second time a loss on Griffioen and Vergeer to claim the gold medal.Wheelchair Tennis Review: Wheelchair Tennis ends with Japan, Netherlands and France winners – The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games . En.paralympic.beijing2008.cn. Retrieved 20 October 2011. At the Masters Vergeer and Homan reached the final again. For the third successive time the match went to a final set. Unlike Beijing the final set was one sided as Vergeer ran out the winner.Wheelchair Tennis – News Article. ITF Tennis (16 November 2008). Retrieved 20 October 2011.