Leander Paes: 40 love
For close to a decade, the journey of the Bryan brothers has been similar to that of the easy flow of water through rocks. The duo has simply left everyone flabbergasted with their splendid brand of tennis and the pair has been top of the ATP rankings for men's doubles for more than five years. Just when it looked like they might upset the record books, those that had been gathering dust for 62 years, by achieving a calendar Grand Slam, they were stopped in their tracks by two aging but well-seasoned players— Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek.
Paes, at 40, is well past his prime but he has lost none of the excitement that characterised him as a teenager. And of course, he still seems to love the game as much as he did back when he was conquering the world of doubles with Mahesh Bhupathi. While Indian tennis had seen its fair share of stalwarts in Ramanathan Krishnan, Premjit Lal and Vijay Amritraj, it was Paes who really put India on the tennis globe with success in many high-profile tennis tournaments.
In Radek Stepanek, who is 34, Paes seems to have found the perfect counterpoint. A tireless crusader, Stepanek plays the perfect foil to an aging Paes and both players seem to have immense respect for one another. So committed is Stepanek to the game that at Wimbledon he played the singles and doubles matches on the same day before a bout of fatigue forced him to retire from the singles draw. Regardless of whether the two end up winning the US Open title or not, their campaign in the tournament so far has truly been the stuff of legend and this is sure to evoke inspiration and awe from all quarters.
As far as Paes is concerned, he has set his sights on the 2016 Rio Olympics and although that is still three years down the line, one will hope he remains as fit as ever so that he can realise his dream. Once he dons the Indian colours, Paes braces himself to give everything for it. He is in fact the only medallist in the Olympics for India in the game of tennis.
Paes decided not to prolong his career in singles knowing full well that he did not have the game to challenge the best in the business. But, his feats in doubles, both in men's and mixed doubles' category have ensured that he will go down as one of the best ever doubles player. He has won a staggering 13 Majors and he is not content to rest on his past laurels and is continuing to push himself to greater heights.
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