We are proud to announce that Globe Lawn Tennis Club member Naqi Rizvi, 32, has become the world’s top-ranked tennis player in international competition for the visually impaired.
His story is an inspiring example of perseverance. Diagnosed with congenital glaucoma as a child, he lost all sight by age seven. He came to the UK in 2015 to pursue a postgraduate degree from UCL, was introduced to tennis for the visually impaired in 2016, and began competing internationally two years later.
Naqi, a product manager in financial services, achieved the top ranking this year in the B1 visually impaired category after victories at the International Blind Sports Association World Games in Birmingham; the International Blind Tennis Association World Championships in Krakow, Poland; and United Kingdom national competitions at Wimbledon. He is next scheduled to compete at the UK nationals in November, where he will be defending the title he has twice won previously.
“The past seven years have been some of the happiest years of my life,” he said. “If you’d asked me in 2016 when I started blind tennis if I’d ever be world No. 1, I would have laughed at you.”