‘Have I overachieved? Talent-wise, yes’: Leander Paes on a glittering three-decade long career

It is the evening before India’s Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group I Round I tie against New Zealand, and Leander Paes is tuning the fine art of lobbing with Vishnu Vardhan. Dressed in shocking pink and white, Paes is passing on the most nuanced tips on how to turn the lob into an offensive shot. He looks every bit the veteran, having gathered three decades worth of knowledge in the game, but nowhere close to a man ready to retire.

Paes was chosen ahead of India’s top-ranked doubles player, Rohan Bopanna, for the tie against New Zealand supposedly because the All India Tennis Association wanted to give him a chance at a world record. The 43-year-old will be aiming for the record of most doubles wins in the Davis Cup on Saturday. He is currently tied at 42 victories with Italy’s Davis Cup legend Nicola Pietrangeli.

‘I play because I can, because I enjoy the game’

“Last year there were a lot of people taking potshots, lot of people were saying you are done, you should retire. But I don’t give a damn about those things,” said Paes. “Now I play because I can. Because I enjoy the game, I have fun doing it.”

Paes has endured a tough year last year, on and off the court, and has seen his world ranking slip to 64. But the hard work he put in the off-season has gone some way in getting his body and mind match fit.

“No, it’s not easy to keep pushing yourself in the off-season,” said a leaner-looking Paes, who now sports a trendy well-groomed beard. “But if you’re gonna do it, do it damn well. Do it so damn well that people sit back and say, ‘Damn, he did it again!’

“I focus on what’s the job, how do I get it done. I actually feel fitter than I used to in the last maybe 10 years. It’s a huge thing for me, because when I went into hospital (for a brain lesion in 2003) I was 80 kg, when I came out, I was 128. Since then, I’ve been working and working to get myself to back to under 80. This morning, I weigh 80.2. So that’s the first time in 14 years.”

A Davis Cup legend

Over the years, Paes has used the Davis Cup as a springboard to success. His Davis Cup legend has grown because of unlikely triumphs in singles: beating Henri Leconte of France on French clay in 1993 and cutting the monster serve of Goran Ivanisevic down to size on Delhi’s uneven grass courts in 1995. But his presence in the doubles since 1990 has meant India has always relied on at least that one point to hinge their hopes on.

“I guess it [the record for most doubles wins] seals my place in history,” Paes said. “Writing history books by pushing my own benchmarks is what it has all been about. But the longevity of my career is something I have been most proud of. It is recognition of all the hard work. The thrill of getting the world record is fantastic. That’s what keeps me going on hard days, when things are going good anybody can be good, when things are not, that champion quality comes through. Over the years I have realised that I have very deep reserves of resolve.”

That will is so strong that it has been able to overcome the limitations of his game. At 5 feet 10 inches, he is one of the shorter players, but his incredible athleticism and astute reading of the game have helped him thrive in the game. Paes has, untiringly and without any surgeries, played on the professional tour for 27 years and raked in 18 Grand Slams (8 men’s doubles, 10 mixed doubles), 55 ATP titles, and the bronze medal in singles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Looking back at all those achievements, and forward to yet another world record, does he think he has overachieved?

“I have never thought of that,” he pondered.

‘Playing on my own terms’

“As an athlete, I’m a supreme athlete, so am I surprised that I’m still playing? No. Because I know how much hard work I’ve put in. Talent-wise, yes. I’m not 6 feet-6 with a big serve, I’m not even 6 feet-2 with a huge serve. My backhand is not conventionally, technically sound. So tennis-wise, yes.”

Even though Paes may not be gifted in a conventional sense, his sharp volleys, which seem to shrink the court for the opponents has given his game a mythical touch. And time has not been able to dim down those predatory reflexes one bit. It has been his one, consistent, unfailing answer to power tennis. And as Paes does not look ready to put down his racquet, which he sometimes wields as a wand, just yet.

“I enjoy the game, I have fun doing it,” he asserts. “When you see me playing on court, I’m laughing, I’m joking, I’m finding different ways to beat that opponent. I’ve done it for what 30 years. I have run my race for so long, and I still continue to, I’ll do it on my own terms.”