Leander Paes has been able to sustain so long in professional tennis mainly because he has set himself targets and goals and chased them with determination
Leander Paes
Leander Paes
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Chennai: Leander Paes has been able to sustain so long in professional tennis mainly because he has set himself targets and goals and chased them with determination.
Indian tennis' Peter Pan has come to Chennai much fitter and sporting gelled hair and a well-groomed beard, but the light seems to have dimmed.
Paes admitted yesterday that he is struggling to find any tangible goals for 2017.
"I play for fun now. I play because I love the game, because I am passionate about the game," said Paes, when asked if he was finally gearing towards retirement.
"There will come a point when the curtain comes down, before that curtain comes down a big thank you to you all. It's been a fun run; you guys have been awesome with me for 20 years, so thanks," he said before choking and bringing the Chennai Open pre-tournament press conference to an end.
Paes is slated to play with Brazil's Andre Sa in Chennai, and the pair will open their campaign against Indian duo of Purav Raja and Divij Sharan. He confirmed that he will play the Australian Open with the Brazilian.
The nearest goal on the radar for Paes, though, has to be breaking Nicola Pietrangeli's record for the most doubles victories in the Davis Cup of 42.
He is part of the team that takes on New Zealand in the Asia Oceania Group I tie at Pune in February.
"To continue at 43, I am blessed to be playing at this level," said Paes. " I have to thank my whole team: my father, Sanjay Singh, Dave Herman, Rick Leach. The list just keeps going on, we have got few people new on my team now, who are going to help me in the last few months of my playing career and my post-tennis career.
"We have been hunting for that for the last two months. My whole team have been looking forward to finding one thing that motivates me and after a while I find that just winning Grand Slams, I have won 18 now, that they are just numbers. Yes, it is wonderful to say that even in a really tough year, last year, 2016 was a horrid year, but I still won a Slam. It's a time right now to transcend and do something bigger than just winning six times (in 2016). I would love to create someone who is winning for the first time."
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