Leander Paes facts for kids
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Paes at the 2016 US Open
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| Country (sports) |  India |
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| Residence | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 17 June 1973 Calcutta, West Bengal, India |
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| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prize money | $8,587,586 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Int. Tennis HoF | 2024 (member page) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Singles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 101–99 (50.5%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 73 (24 August 1998) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam singles results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | 2R (1997, 2000) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| French Open | 2R (1997) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | 2R (2001) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| US Open | 3R (1997) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic Games |  (1996) |
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| Doubles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 770–457 (62.75%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 55 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (21 June 1999) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam doubles results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | W (2012) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| French Open | W (1999, 2001, 2009) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | W (1999) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| US Open | W (2006, 2009, 2013) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other doubles tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tour Finals | F (1997, 1999, 2000, 2005) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic Games | SF – 4th (2004) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mixed doubles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | W (2003, 2010, 2015) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| French Open | W (2016) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | W (1999, 2003, 2010, 2015) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| US Open | W (2008, 2015) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other mixed doubles tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic Games | QF (2012) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team competitions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parents |
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| Relatives | Michael Madhusudan Dutt (great-great grandfather) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Leander Adrian Paes is a famous Indian tennis player. He is known as one of the best doubles players ever. Leander was the first Asian man to join the International Tennis Hall of Fame. He holds the record for most doubles wins in the Davis Cup.
Leander won many major tennis tournaments called Grand Slam titles. He won eight in men's doubles and ten in mixed doubles. He is one of only three men in the Open Era to win all four Grand Slam titles in both men's and mixed doubles. In 1999, he won both men's and mixed doubles at Wimbledon.
With his partner Mahesh Bhupathi, they were the first team to reach the men's doubles finals of all four Grand Slams in one year (1999). Leander won Wimbledon titles in three different decades. He also won a French Open title in three different decades.
Leander received India's highest sports award, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, in 1996–97. He also received the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards for his amazing tennis career. He won a bronze medal for India in men's singles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. This made him the first Asian to win an Olympic tennis medal. He is also the only Indian to win a tennis medal at the Olympics.
He played in seven Olympic Games from 1992 to 2016. This is a record for a tennis player. Leander is also the most successful male tennis player at the Asian Games. He won 5 gold and 3 bronze medals there. He won medals in every type of event: singles, doubles, mixed doubles, and team. He is India's top gold medal winner across all sports at the Asian Games.
Leander was also the captain of the Davis Cup team. He retired from professional tennis in 2020. He was ranked in the Top 100 in men's doubles for 1295 weeks. On July 20, 2024, he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Leander Adrian Paes was born in Calcutta, India, on June 17, 1973. His father, Vece Paes, was a field hockey player. His mother, Jennifer Paes, was a basketball player. Both of his parents were athletes.
His father was part of the Indian field hockey team that won a bronze medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics. His mother was the captain of the Indian basketball team in 1980. Leander is also related to the famous Bengali poet Michael Madhusudan Dutta.
In 1985, Leander joined the Britannia Amritraj Tennis Academy in Madras (now Chennai). He was coached by Dave O'Meara. Leander became famous when he won the 1990 Wimbledon Junior title. He became the number one junior player in the world at age 17.
Tennis Career Highlights
Starting His Professional Journey
Leander first won titles at the Junior US Open and Junior Wimbledon. He became a professional tennis player in 1991. He quickly became the top-ranked junior player in the world. In 1992, he reached the quarter-finals in doubles at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics with Ramesh Krishnan.
At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, he won a bronze medal in men's singles. He beat Fernando Meligeni in a tough match. This was the first individual Olympic medal for India since 1952. Leander said this was one of his best matches, even with a wrist injury. He received India's highest sports honor, the Khel Ratna, in 1996.
His first big year on the ATP tour was 1993. He reached the US Open doubles semifinal with Sébastien Lareau. In 1997, he teamed up with Mahesh Bhupathi. They reached the US Open semifinals that year. Leander's doubles ranking jumped from 89 to 14. He also had his best singles Grand Slam result, reaching the third round of the 1997 US Open.
Rising to Doubles Stardom
Paes and Bhupathi became a very strong team in 1998. They reached the semifinals of three Grand Slams: the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open. Leander also won his only ATP singles title in Newport. He even beat tennis legend Pete Sampras in a match.
In 1999, the duo reached the finals of all four Grand Slams. They won Wimbledon and the French Open. They were the first Indian players to win a Grand Slam doubles event. Leander also won the mixed doubles at Wimbledon with Lisa Raymond. This year, he became the number one doubles player in the world.
In 2000, Paes and Bhupathi had a tough time at the Sydney Olympics. They lost early in the doubles event. Leander had the honor of carrying the Indian Flag at the opening ceremony.
Even though they won the French Open in 2001, Paes and Bhupathi had early exits in other Grand Slams. Leander received the Padmashri award from the Government of India in 2001. The pair won the gold medal at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan.
Doubles Focus and Major Wins
After 2003, Leander focused more on doubles. He won mixed doubles titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2003 with Martina Navratilova. Soon after, Leander had a health scare. He had to miss the US Open but recovered by the end of the year.
At the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, he teamed with Bhupathi again. They reached the semifinals but did not win a medal. His next Grand Slam win was the US Open doubles in 2006 with Martin Damm. Leander led the Indian tennis team at the 2006 Doha Asian Games. He won two gold medals there. He kept his doubles ranking in the top 20 from 2005 to 2007.
In 2008, Paes and Cara Black won the US Open mixed doubles title. In 2009, he won the French Open and US Open men's doubles titles with Lukáš Dlouhý. He also reached the mixed doubles final at the US Open.
He started 2010 well, winning the Australian Open mixed doubles with Cara Black. This was their third Grand Slam final in a row.
Career Grand Slam Achievements
In 2012, Paes partnered with Radek Štěpánek. They won the Australian Open men's doubles title. This win completed his Career Grand Slam in men's doubles. This means he had won all four major Grand Slam tournaments in men's doubles. Paes and Štěpánek also won the Miami Masters.
Paes and Elena Vesnina reached the Wimbledon mixed doubles final in 2012. They lost a close match. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Paes and Vishnu Vardhan lost in the second round. Paes and Štěpánek reached the US Open final in 2012 but lost to the Bryan brothers.
In 2013, Paes and Štěpánek won the US Open. This was Leander's 14th Grand Slam title. He became the oldest man to win a Grand Slam title, being over 40 years old. In January 2014, he received India's third-highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan.
In 2015, Paes won his 55th tour-level title in Auckland with Klaasen. On February 1, he won his seventh Grand Slam mixed doubles title at the 2015 Australian Open with Martina Hingis. This was his 15th major title overall. At Wimbledon 2015, Paes and Hingis won the mixed doubles championship again. This was his fourth Wimbledon mixed doubles title. On September 12, 2015, Paes won the mixed doubles at the 2015 US Open with Hingis.
On June 3, 2016, Leander Paes completed his Career Grand Slam in mixed doubles. He won the 2016 French Open with Hingis. This made him one of only a few players to win all four Grand Slams in both men's and mixed doubles.
Davis Cup Contributions
Leander started playing in the Davis Cup in 1990. He helped the Indian team reach the World Group many times. He was a key player when India reached the semifinals in 1993. He won important singles matches against top players. He also teamed up with Bhupathi to win many doubles matches. In 2018, Leander became the most successful player in Davis Cup history with his 43rd doubles victory.
Playing Style
Leander Paes is known for his unique playing style. He changes his game during a match. He is one of the best at hitting volleys (shots hit before the ball bounces). He is also great at drop shots, which are soft shots that barely cross the net. He learned his volleying skills from former Indian player Akhtar Ali. He uses a one-handed backhand, often slicing the ball instead of hitting it hard.
Partnership with Mahesh Bhupathi
Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi were a famous doubles team. They were nicknamed the "Indian Express." Their partnership was often in the news. They had a great record together, winning 303 matches and losing 103. They also hold a Davis Cup record for the longest doubles winning streak, with 24 straight wins.
In 2011, they reunited to play in a Grand Slam tournament after nine years. They finished as runners-up at the 2011 Australian Open. In 2021, a documentary called Break Point was made about their journey.
Other Activities
In 2010, Leander joined the Board of Directors of Olympic Gold Quest. This group helps support talented Indian athletes.
Acting Career
Leander Paes also tried acting. He made his film debut in Rajdhani Express, a movie released in 2013.
Images for kids
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Signature of Leander Paes
See also
In Spanish: Leander Paes para niños
