From his first practice for Blind and Visually Impaired Tennis in jeans and dress shoes to rapidly rising up the IBTA world rankings after being crowned Men’s B1 World Champion — Naqi Rizvi has undoubtedly changed the entire blind tennis landscape with his undeniable talent.
Despite having won everything there is to win, including World and European Championships, the 33-year-old Naqi was only introduced to blind tennis when he moved to London almost a decade ago.
Born and raised in South Asia to a Pakistani father and Indian mother, Naqi grew up with limited vision due to an incurable eye condition, congenital glaucoma, which gradually worsened due to increasing damage to the optic nerve. By the age of seven, he was completely blind.
Due to high eye pressure, which caused constant watery eyes, pain and sensitivity to light (photophobia), Naqi decided to undergo enucleation surgery in 2014, replacing his eyes with prostheses, to improve his quality of life.
“…making people understand that disability is not the same as inability.”
— Naqi Rizvi
As someone with an innate optimism and zest for life, and thanks to his family’s support network, Naqi continued to dream big after his surgery.
“I had a difficult but very loving childhood, which largely shaped my view of the world,” says Naqi. “We grew up with little financial resources, and my disability made everything even more complicated.
“I don’t have many visual memories because I lost my sight at a young age, and I find it hard to relate to simple visual concepts like ‘beauty’, or how people pick up social cues through body language. Also, daily challenges become more challenging, like walking with a cane, using technology, participating in social activities, and making people understand that disability is not the same as inability.
“The lack of sight did not mean a lack of vision, and my family was always behind me as I competed to get my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering before going to work at an engineering firm and later in the financial sector.”
Naqi’s determination, dedication and perseverance not only earned him a successful and rewarding career, but also catapulted him to the top of VI tennis, nationally and internationally.
‘When I came to London in 2015 and discovered Metro Blind Sports, I wanted to try all VI sports, as I hardly had access to adapted sports as a child, except blind cricket,’ Naqi says.
“From the moment I stepped on the tennis court, I was sold. Although I had lots of enthusiasm but no control over my strokes, I felt I had potential and wanted to persevere… I had never seen or played tennis before, so I really started from scratch and slowly learnt the technique, the mental side and all the rules of the game.
“From the moment I stepped on the tennis court, I was sold. Although I had lots of enthusiasm but no control over my strokes, I felt I had potential and wanted to persevere… I had never seen or played tennis before, so I really started from scratch and slowly learnt the technique, the mental side and all the rules of the game.
Since starting his tennis career eight years ago, Nacqi’s name has become known worldwide. He first won the B1 men’s singles at the Visually Impaired Tennis National Finals in 2021 and has remained unbeaten ever since.
After that, the three-time national champion extended his dominance to the world stage: he won bronze for Pakistan at the 2019 World Championships and gold at the 2023 IBSA World Games.
‘I have many fond memories on the court, but also many disappointments – that’s part of an athlete’s package,’ Naqi explains. ‘My fondest memories include: standing on the podium as winner of the IBSA World Games and hearing the national anthem in front of the whole crowd; training with a sighted volunteer and winning a 30-stroke rally; winning the British Nationals in 2021 and the IBTA World Championship in 2023 after some pretty tough matches.’
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Another special moment was when Naqi played against tennis legend, Richard Krajicek, at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam. Both players used blindfolds and to the amazement of the audience, Richard did not manage to hit a single ball back.
About his path to the top of the IBTA world rankings, Naqi said, “I was incredibly honored and overjoyed to become world number one, especially since I had lost the semifinals at last year’s World Championships.
“I had the honor of playing against two of my biggest opponents and then to come out victorious felt great. It was always a dream of mine and to make it come true made me realize that all those hours on and off the court had paid off. My family couldn’t be there to see me win, but I felt immense joy because I knew they were proud of me.”
“…on the court I am free to run around without a cane or a guide, and that feeling of freedom is unreal.”
— Naqi Rizvi
Richard Kraijcek takes on the challenge with Naqi Zviri during the demo at the ABNAMRO Open 2025
For Naqi, it is precisely those emotional highs and lows that make blind tennis so special, not only for himself but also for his opponents
“I can express my competitiveness and desire for freedom in a positive way on the tennis court. Sports make me more resilient because I face many challenges, and I know that winning and losing are part of life, but what is more important is who you are as a person. I really focus on creating a positive atmosphere on the court for my opponents and everyone involved. I hope people will remember me as a friendly and fun tennis player who did his best to make a match a moment of camaraderie, not just a fight to be the best.”
“I know that blind tennis has a positive impact on many people and gives them a sense of purpose, achievement, social connection and community.”
By Fanny van den Heuvel