Ričardas Berankis tries blind tennis ahead of World Championship

Lithuania's top tennis player, Ričardas Berankis, recently experienced the unique challenges of blind tennis as part of a promotional event for the upcoming IBTA Blind Tennis World Championship. The championship is set to take place from August 24-29 at the SEB Arena in Vilnius, featuring over 120 athletes from approximately 20 countries.

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Greatest respect to the people playing blind tennis. None of us, until we try it, can imagine how difficult it is. I won't be afraid to say that at times it's hard to comprehend with the mind.

During a training session, Berankis, alongside Karolis Verbliugevičius, a pioneer of blind tennis in Lithuania and a member of the national team, first exchanged shots under normal conditions. He then progressed to playing blindfolded and later with special glasses that completely eliminate vision, simulating the experience of blind tennis players.

Berankis described the experience as a profound challenge, stating, "Greatest respect to the people playing blind tennis. None of us, until we try it, can imagine how difficult it is. I won't be afraid to say that at times it's hard to comprehend with the mind." He noted that playing in complete darkness significantly activates other bodily senses, enhancing hearing and spatial orientation. Despite the difficulty, Berankis managed to return the ball and keep it in court several times.

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Most professional tennis players are speechless the first time they try blind tennis. From the outside, it looks one way, but as soon as you put on the special glasses, everything changes.

Aidas Danilovas, coach to Verbliugevičius and a key figure in developing blind tennis in Lithuania, commented that professional tennis players often find the sport surprisingly difficult. "Most professional tennis players are speechless the first time they try blind tennis," Danilovas said. "From the outside, it looks one way, but as soon as you put on the special glasses, everything changes." He emphasized that while professional experience helps, blind tennis relies heavily on hearing, orientation, concentration, and focus. Danilovas expressed hope that Berankis's participation would encourage more people to attend the World Championship and witness the sport firsthand.

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Greatest respect to Karolis and the entire Lithuanian team in the upcoming World Championship. I invite everyone to come and see this sport with their own eyes.