Leander Paes, the most accomplished tennis player from India, will turn 50 on June 17 (Saturday). Paes began as a top-tier player in men's singles before establishing himself in doubles and winning 18 Grand Slam titles. Spanish Tennis star Rafael Nadal once remarked about Paes, "He is one of the biggest stars of doubles and one of the best players in the history of the sport."
Paes was born in Kolkata to parents who had achieved success in Indian sports. His father Vece Paes played midfield for the Indian hockey team that won a bronze medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics, while his mother Jennifer Paes served as captain of the Indian basketball team in the 1980 Asian Basketball Championship. Paes serves as Haryana's current sports ambassador.
Career overview and notable achievements:
At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games in the singles division, India's Leander Paes took home a bronze medal. He described winning the bronze medal as one of his best efforts, despite playing with a broken wrist. The Kolkata-born player also holds the record for most Olympic appearances by any tennis star in history, participating seven times in a row.
He formed a legendary and feared men's doubles tennis partnership with fellow Indian Mahesh Bhupathi. In the doubles and mixed doubles division, Paes has won three US Opens in 2006, 2009, and 2013 in addition to one Australian Open in 2012, three French Open championships in 1999, 2001, and 2009, one Wimbledon in 1999, and one US Open in 2012. Three of those came alongside Bhupati.
He teamed up with some well-known athletes including Lisa Raymond, Martina Navratilova, Martina Hingis, and Cara Black and became even more successful in the mixed doubles circuit. Throughout the course of his mixed doubles career, he has amassed a total of 10 Grand Slam victories.
Furthermore, the longest winning streak by any professional team in sports belongs to Leander Paes' 43-game winning streak with the Washington Kastles tennis team. With 46 victories, he also owns the ITF record for most Davis Cup doubles wins.
Leander Paes recently launched his Tennis Premier League team Bengal Wizards:
In May last week this year, the 50-year-old launched his new Tennis Premier League team, named the Bengal Wizards. During the event launch of the team, Paes said, as quoted by a press release:
"The Tennis Premier League is transforming the landscape of tennis in India with its revolutionary format and high-octane matches. Co-founders Kunal and Mrunal have done a brilliant job, providing the private sector with a golden opportunity to invest in the sport in India. We, as an organisation, are always searching for innovative ideas for a brighter future, which ties in well with the ethos of the league. Bengal has a magical connection with sports. Hence, the name Bengal Wizards fits perfectly. We hope to mesmerize fans with our magical performance on the court."
Paes retired from professional tennis in 2021.
