Trump Lauds Indian Tennis Star, Dhakshineswar Suresh At White House Event

WASHINGTON, DC – President Donald Trump praised Indian tennis player Dhakshineswar Suresh during the National Champions Day event at the White House, which honors top NCAA teams and student-athletes for their national achievements.

Suresh attended the event as a member of the Wake Forest University men’s tennis team, which won the 2025 NCAA Division I championship. Wake Forest defeated Texas Christian University (TCU) 4-2 in the final to claim its second national title.

While addressing the champions, Trump singled out Suresh for special praise.

“Also in the winner’s circle, we have the 2025 NCAA men’s tennis champions, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. They battled through a fierce postseason to claim their second national title. DK Suresh delivered the clinching point to UCLA’s 4-2 victory over TCU in the final. And I want to congratulate you.”

“I said, ‘Who is the best player in the team?’ and they all pointed to you. Congratulations, and that’s really incredible, DK, what you have done. You had a great year. Thank you very much.”

The 26-year-old player from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, has emerged as one of India’s rising tennis talents. Earlier in 2026, Suresh played a key role in India’s 3-2 win over the Netherlands in the Davis Cup Qualifiers, winning both his singles matches and contributing in doubles.

His development has been shaped by the U.S. college tennis system. He began at Georgia Gwinnett College before moving to Wake Forest University, where he became a consistent performer and earned All-American honors.

Suresh reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 462 in April 2026. His career-best doubles ranking of No. 352 was achieved on August 18, 2025.

The Indian player also made his ATP main draw debut at the Winston-Salem Open in 2024. (IANS)