‘Still waiting to get a National Award’: India's hearing-impaired tennis star Prithvi Sekhar

The basic elements of a tennis match that most players take for granted are the very things Chennais Prithvi Sekhar born with congenital hearing loss have never trusted in While others casually listen for line calls or the score being announced Sekhar has to pay extra attentionHis deeply tanned weathered face stands as a testament to the hours spent under the blazing sun rallying tirelessly on the courtBorn and raised in the Tamil Nadu capital Sekhar has risen to the rarefied heights of being Indiarsquos most successful hearingimpaired tennis player His father had way back recognised his sonrsquos athletic prowess and naturally decided that cricket was the only logical choice But the 31yearold wasnt too sure about fitting into a team sport especially one that thrives on constant communication so he chose tennisHis tennis journey began at the ripe age of ten and since then hersquos been raking in accolades at the Deaflympics where he has amassed multiple medals including a groundbreaking bronze in the mixed doubles at the 2017 Deaflympics His 2024 Australian Open feat was nothing short of legendary with a recordbreaking victory in the singles championship and a runnerup finish in doubles with Glen FlindellOn January 27 Sekhar made history by becoming the first Indian player to successfully defend a Grand Slam singles title effortlessly cruising to victory against Francersquos Oliver Grave in the Australian Open Deaf Championship Menrsquos Singles finals without losing a single setldquoThis year has been a personal highlight especially after winning some tough matches There were moments when I wondered whether Irsquod give up or lose but I pushed through One of the most memorable moments was my comeback in the quarterfinals where I fought hard for 2 hours and 45 minutes The semifinal was even tougher lasting 3 hours The final was incredible and Irsquom so grateful to everyone who supported me those who were there in person cheering me on as well as those watching live at home or on TVrdquo he saidSekhar however couldnrsquot help but sigh as he mentioned that despite receiving congratulatory calls and meetings from numerous ministers on his Australian Open title defense he is still patiently waiting to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi He also pointed out that despite racking up numerous accolades for the country he is still waiting for the day he is honoured with a national awardldquoIve been meeting with various ministers who have called to congratulate me on my Grand Slam victory at the Australian Open Deaf Tennis Championship But Im still waiting for an appointment to meet the Sports Minister of India I also look forward to meeting Prime Minister Modi as Irsquove been trying to arrange a meeting with him Additionally I would like to mention that Irsquove been applying for a national award for the past three to four years and Irsquom still waiting for the opportunity to receive onerdquo he saidAs a seasoned threetime Deaflympics athlete Sekhar has mastered the art of reading the game through pure sensation and visual cues Forget hearing the ball bounce he can feel it He observes footwork racket grips and vibrations in the court as if he is operating on a whole different level of tennis intelligenceA devoted Jannik Sinner fan Sekharrsquos ultimate dream is to meet Novak Djokovic and snap a picture with him ldquoI havent met Djokovic personally yet Im still waiting for the opportunity to take a photo with him and hopefully have a conversation It would be the best moment of my life And even though Im also a big fan of Jannik Sinner I just wanted to make sure to mention that as well smilesrdquo