Opinion: Leander Paes - A tireless crusader

Amidst the CWG and IPL buzz, one sports news went passed on a rather low node. Indian tennis star Leander Paes became the most successful doubles player in the history of Davis Cup when teamed up with Rohan Bopanna, he defeated the Chinese pair on 7th April in the doubles rubber of the Asia/Oceania tie.

It was the 43rd double victory for Paes in the coveted Davis Cup.

This is an incredible feat considering the fact that Paes is active as an international player for close to 28 years now. Looking at his uncanny endurance, ee can only define him as a timeless, ageless samurai and tireless crusader.

Imagine this. When Paes struck with fame in 1990 with junior Wimbledon title, most of current ATP players weren’t even born – internet and World Wide Web wasn’t even launched properly – Narendra Modi was under the transition phase from an RSS Pracharak to the politician and current Indian Cricket Captain Virat Kohli was just a toddler.

This Davis Cup record mentioned above itself suggests the very high level of Paes’s commitment to his country as he earned it playing for India. Leander Paes deserves huge applaud for the very reason that he is among the sportspersons, for whom nation comes before anything else.

For an Indian sports junkie like me, Paes is a very special Indian sportsman for a very interesting reason as well. The first time our generation saw an Indian on a medal podium at Olympic, courtesy Paes. His bronze medal at the Atlanta Olympic in 1996 was like an invaluable drizzle in a desert riddled with drought for years. it was just a second individual medal by an Indian at the Olympics (after 44 years of first individual medal) and an Indian medal 16 years after India won Hockey Gold at Moscow in 1980.

His longevity in the game is unprecedented, somewhat only parallel to the great Martina Navratilova. Navratilova was active at the level of Grand Slam Tennis for three decades. As a matter of fact, Paes also partnered Navratilova in many Grand Slams and this pair won four Mixed Doubles Grand Slam during 2003-04. Later in 2015, Navratilova revealed that Leander Paes had been her most favourite mixed doubles partner during the whole career.

His predecessors Vijay Amritraj and Ramesh Krishnan did better than Leander in Grand Slam singles but Leander almost attained a cult status in men’s doubles and mixed doubles. He has so far played in 34 doubles and mixed doubles Grand Slam finals and won eight doubles and ten mixed doubles. During the course, he completed the career slam in both doubles and mixed doubles.

Notwithstanding his difference with Mahesh Bhupathi in the later years, the highest point of Leander’s career was his association with Bhupathi to forge into one of the most formidable men doubles pair in ATP. During 1999, they ruled the world Tennis. This pair was almost invisible and played in all four Grand Slams in 1999 and won two. During 1999, Leander along with Bhupathi was one of the most talked about Indian across the globe. His last Grand Slam came as late as in 2016 when he won mixed doubles at the French Open at the age of 43.

At the age of 44, when most of the Tennis players are well past their prime by at least 10 years, Paes’s commitment at the court and his appetite for the victory is no short of a wonder.

This is the time to bow in respect to one of the greatest sportspersons this country has produced. He is an undisputed epitome of endurance and never say die attitude.

Let’s all hail Leander Paes at this special moment and on this colossal achievement.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)