Leander Paes
Leander Adrian Paes (born June 17, 1973) is an Indian male tennis professional who currently features in the doubles events in the ATP tour and the Davis Cup tournament. He is one of the most successful professional Indian tennis players and is also the current captain of the Indian tennis team. He has won various doubles and mixed doubles events at the Tennis Grand Slam events. He is also the recipient of India's highest sporting honour, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 1996–1997 and the Padmashri award in 2001 for his contribution to Tennis in India.
Apart from his seven Grand Slam victories at doubles and Mixed doubles events, he is famous for his several memorable Davis Cup performances playing for India and also for winning a bronze medal for India in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
However, his singles career never scaled great heights though he almost bailed India out of tough situations in Davis Cup ties. In the meantime, he and partner Mahesh Bhupathi joined forces and tasted great success in doubles winning a handful of grand slam titles. At one point of time, they were the No.1 tennis pair in the world. But certain personal differences forces them to part way curtailing what could have been a glorious chapter in Indian tennis. The two however always come together whenever representing India in Davis Cup ties. Even after his split with Bhupathi, Paes continues to be a force on the doubles circuit and has even added to his tally of Grand Slam titles. The same can be said of Bhupathi also. But the magic the duo created on court together has unfortunately been lost. Paes and Bhupathimay have parted ways some years back, but their influence on tennis was so strong that it is difficult to talk of them separately even today.
For his great contribution to Indian tennis, Leander was conferred upon with the Rajiv Gandhi khel Ratna award in the year 1996-1997. Some years in later on in 2001, the prestigious Padma Shri award was also bestowed upon him.
Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi took part in the men's doubles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They were eliminated in the Quater-Finals by Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka who went on to win the men's doubles gold medal
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