First Deaf Tennis player to win ATP Tour match | Deaf Tennis

Deaf Tennis
Deaf Tennis

Deafness is the inability to hear. The term deaf is used to describe or identify people who have severe hearing loss. Sometimes they also refer to hard-of-hearing people. Deafness is notoriously hidden and it can sometimes be difficult to tell if someone is hearing impaired and may need additional communication support.

Tennis relies heavily on sound

Players listen to the drop of the ball on the court or the swing of the tennis racket. Sounds like this tells them when to do something. They hear the judge’s call and decide on the match and the points.

Deaf athletes focus on the feel of the racket in their hands, the movement of the opponent, and the ball going over the net. Visualization occurs in an average of 180-200 milliseconds. Emotional reactions, on the other hand, occur in 140-160 milliseconds.

Lee’s deafness

Lee Duck-hee

Lee was diagnosed as deaf as a small child. His parents decided to teach him lips instead of language. When he started elementary school, he was removed from the school for the deaf to join the hearing world.

When it came to sports, Lee’s parents gave up on the sports team due to communication difficulties. Playing tennis is optional because socializing with friends is not mandatory. In addition, their job opportunities, as long-term employment opportunities for deaf people in South Korea are limited.

Lee Duck-hee first deaf player to win ATP

Lee Duck-hee threw the ball in the air for his first serve in an ATP tournament and made it past his opponent with a bang.

The tour’s first deaf player says he doesn’t want to be defined by his disability he has overcome enough to play at the highest level of the game.

His first appearance at the highest level will last until the second most. Lee defeated Henri Laaksonen of Switzerland 7-6 (4), 6-1 in the first round of the Winston-Salem Open on Monday to set up a showdown with third-seeded Hubert Hurkacz of Poland.

Who can compete in deaf tennis?

To qualify, a player must have an average hearing loss of at least 55dB in the best ear – learn more about hearing loss here.

During the competition, competitors must remove cochlear implants and headphones before starting the pre-competition warm-up. Failure to do so would result in disqualification. The reason for this is to make it a playground for everyone.