Meet Shiv Khanna, an 11th-grade student from Delhi’s Sanskriti School. While most young tennis players dream of competing in Wimbledon, Shiv is different. He is passionate about supporting wheelchair tennis in India and brightening the lives of others.

A few years back, Shiv visited Wimbledon with his loving father, Vidur Khanna, a successful businessman. There, he witnessed wheelchair tennis for the first time and was captivated by it. Since then, he has been training hard for around four hours every day with his coach.

But Shiv’s dream goes beyond personal success. He aims to make a difference in the lives of wheelchair tennis players in India. Recently, he successfully hosted a wheelchair tournament in Delhi for the second time! His foundation called “Aces on Wheels” supports wheelchair tennis.

Courting Change

• With his foundation’s efforts, Shiv hopes to provide better infrastructure, quality wheelchairs, and improved training for wheelchair players. His ambition is to organize an ITF tournament for them to help boost their world rankings.
• The tournament held this year featured 21 men and five women players, most of whom hailed from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Shiv’s ultimate goal is to make the sport more accessible to players across the country. Thus, potentially hosting future tournaments in Bengaluru or Chennai to reduce long travels for participants.
• Shiv’s father, Vidur, has been instrumental in supporting his son’s vision. He has set up a website, acesonwheels.com, to share inspiring stories of leading wheelchair players in India.
• The father-son duo is determined to make tennis courts accessible for wheelchair players nationwide. They are also particularly keen on encouraging more women to join the sport. 
• Wheelchair tennis, however, comes with its challenges. The cost of specialized wheelchairs can be significant. This makes a substantial difference in players’ performance. For example, a wheelchair, imported from London, costs over five lakhs, while another one from India costs around ₹50,000.
• Despite the hurdles, Shiv and his father are resolute in their mission to mobilize resources and propel wheelchair tennis’s growth in India. Their determination has garnered the support of many like-minded individuals! These individuals  share their passion for making Indian wheelchair tennis thrive.
• Shiv’s dreams have become a collective dream! With the dedication of Shiv, his father, and their supporters, the future of wheelchair tennis in India looks bright. Through their efforts and enthusiasm, they aim to bring joy, hope, and success to wheelchair players all over the country.