Meet Ivan, the VI Tennis World Champion.

Missing Wimbledon already? Well, let us introduce you to your next tennis obsession... Ivan Rodriguez Deb

At just 20 years old, Ivan has become a European Champion, won Great Britain's only singles gold medal at the European Visually Impaired Tennis Championships, competed at the first Blind and Low Vision Australian Open tournament and reached World No.1 in visually impaired tennis.

So Ivan, tell us a bit about yourself and your journey in tennis.

How did you first get involved in visually impaired tennis, and what inspired you to pursue the sport competitively?

I began mainstream tennis at my local club when I was 8 years old. After not having a great time at school, my mum, a former Paralympian, thought immersing me in sport would enable me to focus on something I really enjoyed and establish friendships along the way. As soon as I began playing tennis, there was an instant connection. I continued to play for a couple of years and gradually began to realise, as my peers continually improved, that I was increasingly struggling to visually track the ball which was now travelling faster and with spin. This prompted my mum to find alternatives and that’s when we discovered a trial day for visually-impaired tennis. For the first time, I was able to play the sport I love on a level playing field and was soon competing on the national tour, making my debut in the Men’s category in 2018, aged 13.

 

Last year you became European Champion, winning Great Britain's only singles gold medal at the European Visually Impaired Tennis Championships. This year, you made it to the finals in the first Blind and Low Vision Australian Open competition!

What did those achievements mean to you and what are you most proud of from that experience?

Progress is rarely linear and involves a lot of both high and low points. I’ve been very lucky to have a personal team that has supported me in all these moments, against the challenges of very limited funding and sponsorship opportunities. Winning the European Championships was an incredible moment and will forever be one of the highlights of my career as my first international title. In a way, the challenges I’ve faced has made such victories sweeter. I also felt it was a turning point in my career as it was the beginning of a title run resulting in 4 international titles and me becoming World No. 1 for the first time earlier this year.

Being invited to participate at the Australian Open this year was an incredible and slightly surreal moment for me and a landmark moment for the sport. Having a visually impaired draw taking place at the same time and in the same venue as where the mainstream players are competing is a huge step towards full inclusion and eventually, creating a professional pathway which is something I’m very passionate about. I was really proud of how I was able to compete against other amazing athletes from other parts of the world and hopefully it’s helped to convince the public that VI tennis is an incredible sport and something worth investing much more into.

 

As a blind young person competing at an international level, what challenges have you faced and what has helped you to succeed?

The most obvious challenge is the lack of awareness since the sport is promoted very little. Any promotion it does receive is often heavily targeted towards grassroots initiatives and one particular category (there are in fact four from totally blind to partially sighted) which creates the misunderstanding that there is no competitive strand to the sport or that the sport only caters to totally blind people. Despite there being many players of a high standard and being as old as wheelchair tennis, it still does not receive the same recognition and there is no prize money. This, alongside the general stereotypes of disability sport as being less competitive, makes it very difficult to convince people to take you seriously as an elite athlete and hence it’s very hard to get funding or sponsorships of any kind. Unlike team sports, tennis requires a level of intense personal practice and coaching which also makes it very difficult to progress unless you have individuals who are willing to help. As a result, it’s difficult to create top-level athletes within the sport with the current level of investment. I’ve been very lucky to have a few people along my journey who have played key roles in my development, as well as very supportive family members. I’ve always strived to portray the best image of the sport I can and try to behave and take the sport as seriously as any professional athlete would within the means I have. I am a huge advocate not only of the sport but also player welfare and rights and have found that speaking up often comes with consequences but if it makes the sport better for the entire community, then it’s worth it.

Is there anything you would like other blind and partially sighted young people to know about taking part in sport?

Tennis very quickly went from a hobby to one of the central passions of my life. I’ve had the opportunity to represent my country, travel the world and play in grand slams and still firmly believe that the best is yet to come! Tennis has become such a fundamental part of my life, so much that I view my life in two parts – before I began tennis and after. That’s the power that sport can have on an individual and, for me, it’s a love that only grows as time goes along. Despite the challenges, playing the sport has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever taken and I would say to anyone willing to give it a go that there is nothing to lose and potentially everything to gain.

 

How did you get involved with RSBC? Have there been any RSBC services, activities or experiences that were particularly helpful in journey?

My mum got in touch with RSBC when I was primary school age as she wanted me to meet other visually impaired children, knowing from her own lived experience how important this would be for me. Being able to relate to other visually impaired children and the things we share in common is hugely important for building confidence and good psychological wellbeing. I went to a couple of RSBC events which I really enjoyed. The benefits of such experiences can’t be underestimated.

 

Wimbledon is one of the biggest moments in the tennis calendar and inspires people across the country.

What does Wimbledon mean to you as a tennis player, and how do you hope your own achievements might inspire other blind and partially sighted children and young people to get involved in sport?

Wimbledon is often viewed as the most prestigious tournament in the world both for competitors and spectators alike. For me personally, it’s a tournament where I have enjoyed a lot of success as two-time defending champion of the Play Your Way to Wimbledon VI Tennis Finals. My hope is that one day, it is included as part of the main Wimbledon event which takes place in July and follows in the footsteps of the Australian Open in terms of its promotion as a competitive sport given the same respect as mainstream and wheelchair tennis.  I hope that young visually impaired people who see what I’ve achieved in the sport and the incredible experiences I’ve had are motivated to join the sport and have their life changed as mine has.