17 year old Rotem Ashkenazi, who trains at the ITEC – Ramat Hasharon, has advanced to the finals of the first Junior World Championships for the Deaf in Nottingham, England. The championship, organized by the Tennis Foundation, the leading tennis charity in Great Britain, helps people become better tennis players and human beings on and off the court. The tournament features representatives from 20 countries competing to become the best hearing impaired tennis players in the world.
Deaf since birth, Rotem started playing tennis when she was 6 years old. At the age of 12, she joined the ITEC – Ramat Hasharon and today she is the only female deaf competitive tennis player in Israel. For the past few years she has played national tournaments and is currently ranked 21st in the Israeli U-18 category. It is her first time playing against another deaf player. “I’m very interested to know what it’s like to play against another deaf player, since I’ve only ever played against hearing players,” said Rotem. “I am curious to meet so many people with hearing disabilities from around the world. I am very excited to represent Israel and I hope to make everyone proud”.