US President Donald Trump praised Indian tennis player Dhakshineswar Suresh during the National Champions Day event at the White House, where top NCAA teams and student-athletes were honoured for their achievements. Suresh attended the ceremony as part of the Wake Forest University men’s tennis team, which won the 2025 NCAA Division I championship.
Wake Forest claimed the title after defeating the TCU Horned Frogs 4-2 in the final, with Suresh delivering the clinching point. Trump singled him out while addressing the champions, saying Wake Forest had battled through a fierce postseason to secure its second national title and adding that DK Suresh delivered the decisive victory over TCU. He also said he had asked the team who their best player was, and they had all pointed to Suresh.
The 26-year-old from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, has emerged as one of the rising names in Indian tennis. His journey has been shaped by the US college tennis system, beginning at Georgia Gwinnett College before moving to Wake Forest, where he developed into a consistent performer and earned All-American honours.
Suresh also played an important role in India’s 3-2 Davis Cup Qualifiers win over the Netherlands earlier in 2026, winning both his singles matches and contributing in doubles as well. That performance further strengthened his reputation as one of India’s promising international tennis players.
He has also made progress on the professional circuit, with a career-high ATP singles ranking of No. 462 achieved in April 2026 and a doubles ranking of No. 352 reached in August 2025. Suresh made his ATP main draw debut at the Winston-Salem Open in 2024, and his recognition at the White House marks another major moment in his growing career.
