Interview: Leander Paes, India’s First Inductee In The Tennis Hall Of Fame

Leander Paes, widely regarded as one of the most accomplished doubles players in the world, is set to become the first Indian player to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Former player Paes, who won 10 mixed doubles and eight men’s doubles Grand Slam titles, will receive tennis’ ultimate honor at a ceremony in Newport on July 20.

The 51-year-old will be joined by broadcaster and promoter Vijay Amritraj and renowned journalist Richard Evans, who are both set to be inducted into the Contributor Category.

Ahead of the induction ceremony, I spoke to former world number one Paes:

Manasi Pathak: Congratulations on being elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. It’s a matter of pride not just for you, but for all of India. How do you feel?

Leander Paes: It’s the greatest honor to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. For a young boy who grew up in Kolkata playing gully [street] cricket and football to now have spent 38 years learning the craft and being a student of the game to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is a representation of not just the hard years that I’ve dedicated to my sport but also to the unconditional love and guidance that my parents and my siblings have given me.

The 1.4-plus billion Indians are all coming with me into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. It takes an army to be a success and in my case, my greatest honor is to play for our country, our people and our flag.

Pathak: When you started playing tennis, did you imagine yourself making it to the Hall of Fame one day?

Paes: My whole existence was about emulating my father in winning an Olympic medal. I am an Olympic baby – my parents were at the 1972 Munich Olympics and I was born nine months later.

As an 11-year-old, I left my parents’ home and moved to south India to Vijay Amritaj’s Tennis Academy. I am very grateful to Mrs. Maggie Amitraj and Mr. Amitraj for the unconditional support they have given me.

From the age of 11 to 18 to when I won my first Wimbledon junior singles title, I felt like the hard years that I persevered to build my physical progress or my mental toughness or to understand what tennis was all about, I think those hard years taught me a lot about being a professional athlete.

Pathak: Tennis was not your first-choice sport, it was football. But you decided to make the switch because you dreamed of winning an Olympic medal. Making a career in tennis in the cricket-mad country of India isn’t easy. How was your experience?

Paes: I grew up a football player. I used to dribble my football through the classrooms and tuition classes. Even when I would run around the streets of Kolkata, football was always at my feet.

That being said, I realized that in the 80s, football was not as popular in India. We weren’t even playing in the Asian Games let alone the Olympics. So I gave up my first love which is football and I switched that with an individual sport like tennis, which today I believe is the hardest sport on the planet.

The fact that we guys have to play five sets every alternate day in 14 days… those matches are grueling, both mentally emotionally and definitely physically.

Tennis is such a global sport, it is the most competitive sport where you get athletes from every single nook and cranny. The athletes that come out from different parts of the world have different styles of play, upbringings and coaching methods.

So, as a young Indian boy, I always had to adapt to weather conditions, different playing surfaces, different opponents and the way they think.

Pathak: You come from a family with a sporting legacy. Your father Vece Paes was part of the Indian men’s hockey team that won the bronze medal at the Munich 1972 Olympics. How did you feel when you won your singles bronze medal at the Atlanta 1996 Games?

Paes: I used to polish my father’s Olympic medal every Sunday after church. He taught me all about the Olympic movement.

He also told me that I could inspire children through sports and in that, I found a great desire within myself to prove that we Indians can be world leaders and world champions.

Standing on the podium in Atlanta with the medal around my neck and with the Indian tricolor going up was just the greatest pinnacle of my career. I hold my Olympic medal way up in all my showcases. It has been something very special to me because I’m the second generation Olympic champion in my family.

To be able to sit at the dining table with my dad and tease him about his medal and my medal sitting next to each other brings great memories.

Pathak: How did tennis help you in your life?

Paes: Tennis has been a great educator for me. It has taught me so much about life and having perfect partnerships. I have had 194 men’s doubles partners, and 26 mixed doubles partners over a span of 38 years of playing the game.

So I’m very blessed for my tennis. I’m very honored to be a student of my craft and and travel the world and write my name in the history books.

I think it’s a great inspiration to every child that if Leander can get into the Hall of Fame after playing gully cricket and football barefoot, then any kid with passion in their hearts, a lot of hard work and a lot of belief in themselves can be a success.