Both players were announced at a national team training camp after a call for applications, and will now work towards the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Tapper is a history-maker as she is the only athlete from any sport to have competed at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games for Australia.

"Being named alongside Jake as a co-captain of the national squad is a real privilege," Tapper, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, said. 

"I'm looking forward to challenging myself and the team to build a strong, fun, high-performance culture that will reap individual and team rewards down the track."

TTA hopes to send its largest-ever Paralympic team this year.

"I'm humbled and grateful to be appointed as co-captain of the national squad for 2020," said Ballestrino.

"I believe with the guidance of our coaching staff and the huge amount of support we receive both on and off the table, we have a fantastic opportunity to collectively work hard, train hard and see significant improvements over the next seven months in the lead up to the Tokyo Paralympic Games and beyond. 

"Exciting times are ahead for Australian Para-table tennis."