Dipika Pallikal: 10 things you need to know about India's squash queen

7. Dipika Pallikal’s favourite sportsperson is not her husband Dinesh Karthik, but tennis great Roger Federer. “He’s my ultimate idol,” she says.

8. She has two main goals – the first of these is to achieve the World No. 1 ranking, and the other to win India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna.

"To win the Bharat Ratna is a dream but obviously there is a lot that must be achieved before I can fulfill it. Awards motivate me to keep doing my best and help me stay focused despite hardships," Pallikal told the Times Of India.

9. No confusion! She may have danced to songs from the Deepika Padukone-Ranbir Kapoor starrer ‘Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani’ at her wedding, but if there is one thing the squash queen dislikes, it is people confusing her name with the actress’.

“I absolutely hate it when people spell my name as 'Deepika', she says.

Dipika says that she would have tried her hand at acting if not for squash

10. Known for her stunning looks, Pallikal revealed that she would have ventured into the film industry had she not made it big in the sports world.

“I would have taken up modelling or perhaps even tried my hand at acting,” she said.

11. According to Dipika Pallikal, the one word that defines her is ‘determined’. And she has walked the talk, giving the National Squash Championship a miss for the last four years in protest against the unequal prize money awarded to men and women.