Leander Adrian Paes

Sports

Leander Adrian Paes

Born:17 June 1973

He is an Indian professional tennis player who is considered to be one of the best doubles and mixed doubles players of all time, having achieved a career Grand Slam in each discipline.
He has won eight doubles and ten mixed doubles Grand Slam titles.
He holds a career Grand Slam in men’s doubles and mixed doubles, and achieved the rare men’s doubles/mixed doubles double at the 1999 Wimbledon tournament.
His mixed doubles Wimbledon title in 2010 made him the second man (after Rod Laver) to win Wimbledon titles in three decades.
One of the most successful professional Indian tennis players, he has received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, India’s highest sporting honour, in 1996–97; the Arjuna Award in 1990.
The Padma Shri award in 2001 and its 3rd Highest Civilian Award the Padma Bhushan in January 2014 for his outstanding contribution to tennis in India.
He won a bronze medal for India in singles in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
He competed in consecutive Olympic appearances from 1992 to 2016,making him the first Indian and only tennis player to compete at seven Olympic Games.
He is a former Davis Cup team captain, and holds the record for the most Davis Cup doubles wins with 43 victories (surpassing Nicola Pietrangeli who has 42 victories.).
He also plays in World TeamTennis for the Washington Kastles, being on the 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 championship teams and was named Male MVP for 2009 and 2011 for all of World Team Tennis.
He is the sports ambassador of the Indian state of Haryana.