If we begin to introduce Leander Paes, it would be embarrassing, for Leander thy name is enough! Long before our ears found music when a tennis ball hit a racquet, Leander was already dreaming of winning an Olympic medal at the age of 10. This despite doctors telling his father that he would never be able to undertake the hardships of training to achieve professional status because he had a heart disease — Mitral Valve Prolapse. Leander proved them wrong when in 1990, he won the Junior Wimbledon. 20 Grand Slams, seven Olympics, 192 partners, and 32 years of tennis career later, Leander has now been inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame! While he tells us that he is immensely grateful for this honour, he says that he is the least talented athlete at home.
Crediting his parents for the man he is today, Leander acknowledges that such a great accolade as International Tennis Hall of Fame induction does not come easy. Among the innumerable flights, trains, automobiles, lounges, platforms, players, locker rooms, stadiums, and traveling, there is also the loneliness of an individual sport that no one takes into account. “Not many people understand how lonely it is out there to go through the hard winters in Europe, or sit on the pavement in New York City getting stitched up because you got mugged and you’ 're alone,” Leander tells us. But he didn’t pack his bag and head home. He strived hard to make a whole nation proud and put India on the world map. Leander remembers, on returning home after playing in the Barcelona Olympics, his dad said, “I still won a medal, you need to get that.” Acknowledging the inspiration he received from his parents, Leander tells us, “My heroes were at home. All I had to do was emulate them.”
Excerpts from the conversation:
You are the first Asian male to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in the player category! That’s a big one!
Absolutely! This recognition speaks of three-and-a-half decades of work that I have put in. Having played for India, winning 20 Grand Slams, seven Olympics, and being considered the most decorated Asian Games athlete winner, is very humbling and inspiring. This inspires me to, in the next 15 years, get 250 million kids playing sports in our country. What’s really cool about this International Tennis Hall of Fame statistics is that Rod Laver and myself are the only two individuals in the history of tennis to win Wimbledon in three different decades. I’m the only person in the history of tennis to win the French Open in three different decades. So, the patience, the passion, the ability to reinvent oneself, and the longevity of the career, goes to show a good quality of life. That is something I’d like to instill in the youth today.
When we think of tennis in India, there are only three names that come to mind — Leander Paes, Sania Mirza, and Mahesh Bhupathi. What do you think needs to be done to have more players like you?
Winning Junior Wimbledon in 1990 made tennis a very cool sport. Winning the Olympic medal in 1996 inspired Mahesh and Sania to play tennis. After that, having won the Asian Games with Sania, having won the Grand Slams with Mahesh inspired so many children to play tennis. And over three decades, I have had players like Abhinav Bindra, Gagan Narang, and even Neeraj Chopra tell me that I was the inspiration for them. As much as that feels wonderful, I think it’s very important now to encourage young children to get away from smart gadgets, electronics, social media games, and actually get out there to use sport as a vehicle for good quality life, for mental health, to release endorphins, release stress, because it’s not only about winning Olympic medals and Grand Slams, it’s also about achieving good quality of life and health.
Three decades of tennis didn’t come easy… what made you pursue tennis despite the odds?
I think I was very lucky to be born into a family of achievers. My mom captained the Indian basketball team. Her jersey number was 5. Dad played for India in the ’72 Olympics. His jersey number was 10. After he won his Munich Olympic medal, he switched over to sports medicine. So, the sports know-how of both my parents has obviously made me the man I am today. I had full clarity from the age of five or six that I was born into legacy. I had complete clarity that I wanted to win an Olympic medal for India to prove that we could be Olympic champions in an individual sport, not just in field hockey and in team sport. That being said, as a 10-year-old, over 100 doctors told my father that my body would not be able to undertake the hardships of training to achieve professional status because I had a heart disease — Mitral Valve Prolapse. When I was 10, I had a metal cast on my right leg because of all the hours of kicking a football, which was my main passion. As I grew older, in 2003, I was in a cancer hospital, diagnosed with neurocysticercosis. After winning Wimbledon with Martina Navratilova, I was at MD Anderson for seven months. Looking further back, I have hitchhiked through Europe as an 18, 19, or 20-year-old; I have gotten mugged in New York at Grand Central Station… I still have a scar on my chest, which reminds me every day how tough this world is. So, yes, scripting history, achieving this wonderful accolade doesn’t come easy. It comes with a tremendous amount of hard work.
Singles, Doubles or mixed doubles — what have you enjoyed the most and why?
All three, because I’ve achieved in all three. I won my Olympic medal in singles, my Junior Grand Slam in singles, one to prove that India could be world beaters in men’s doubles with an Indian boy. And at the same time, winning all four grand slams in 16 months, which is the world record, with Martina Hingis.
So, how do I pick one from a big body of work? How critical have you been about your game?
Very critical! I come from a family of excellence. So, when I sit at the dining table at home, I am the least talented athlete. When I won Junior Wimbledon, I realised there’s a lot more to do. Later, consider this: I get my first Olympics in Barcelona, come back and my dad’s like, ‘I still won a medal, you need to get that’. So, I’m very inspired by creating history; I’m very inspired by being the best I can be. And being a student of life, a student of my craft, I’m a real perfectionist, which sometimes makes it hard for others to keep up with.
What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned in life?
To really understand and listen to what people around you are saying. To the ones that you care for — your family, friends, coaches, trainers, teachers, partners; and to learn from their strengths and weaknesses. In a world that we live in, where there’s so much negativity around, it’s important to bring love, passion, empathy, goodness, and happiness. I think it’s important to keep it real. There’s nothing wrong in showing your vulnerability or failure.
Beyond the court, sports also help foster friendships. Who are the friends that you’ve made?
That’s been the biggest blessing. From a young Indian kid playing gully cricket and football, I got to travel the whole world as tennis is such a global sport. I literally built my own circle of family and friends all across the world. Tennis helped me not only become a global athlete but also a global brand.
Do you think your records will ever be broken?
I hope so. I believe records are made to be broken. But first, we’re blessed to be able to push the benchmark so high that the next generation finds it tougher to keep doing so. My parents have taught me that every generation must do better than the last. My heroes were at home. So, all I had to do was emulate them, and I hope I’ve made them proud.
Do you miss the court?
Not at all. Most athletes have a career that lasts 10 years. Some athletes are lucky to have careers that last 15 years. Here, I’ve had a career that lasted 32 years! Add 10 years prior to that preparing for it. So, 42 years is a long time, filled with flights, trains, automobiles, lounges, platforms, players, locker rooms, stadiums, travelling alone, the loneliness of an individual sport… to overcome those hardships, not give up, not pack your bags, saying, ‘forget this, I’m going home,’ but to continue and to keep persevering, takes a special mind. I’ve played hard; I have played very natural, and done a decent job. And I love sport, I’m always going to be an athlete, whether or not I am on court.
Could you elaborate on your fitness regimen?
I practice a lot of martial arts, I do Aikido, which is a way of life. It’s a Japanese philosophy of honour, respect, and reverence; how to give respect and how to command respect. I also do combat to keep myself fit and sharp, and my reflexes going. Then there is cardio, to keep my body healthy and strong. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big foodie. I love to cook when I get time. All the foods that I was not allowed to eat during my 32-year-playing career — street food, chaat, and mishti doi, I now eat. I enjoy eating, but I maintain a balance, which is very important.
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