He may still have an ace or two up his sleeve, in his silverscreen avatar!.
Leander Paes with Martina Hingis
He is absolute class personified as he greets everyone amicably, flashing a well-rehearsed smile and looking leaner than ever. Within just a few seconds into a conversation with this 42-year-old modern legend of Indian sport, you know you’re in the company of someone special — and what’s even more delightful, Leander Paes considers Chennai “home”!
“I lived here for over five years when I was a teenager before going to the U.S, and I absolutely loved my time here. Ever since, it’s been one of my favourite hunting grounds. I enjoy catching up with my friends from school as well, whenever I visit. In fact, I gave tourneys in Brisbane and Doha a miss, to be here now! As for the language, I understand a bit of Tamil... but I confine myself to cheering for Thalaiva Rajinikanth!” he grins.
In the city for the Chennai Open, ‘Lee’ seems to be hitting peak fitness form right before the upcoming Rio Olympics in August — what’s his mantra? “Age is just a number. The tennis ball doesn’t know how old the person hitting is, does it now? I’ve learnt so much, playing with greats like Martina Hingis and Navratilova, who’ve recalibrated their careers and methods as they got older. My core team, including my dad, who’s my doctor, has been been with me for decades — that’s helped me to maintain my body. I keep pushing boundaries to honour India and our fans of the game,” Leander muses.
He’s also wary of youngsters in the game nipping at his heels. “There are plenty waiting to take my Davis Cup Spot. But I’m confident enough to state that I can win a second Olympic medal and more Grand Slams,” Leander states.
All his partners in the game have been special, Leander adds — and it’s evident that his love for tennis is still shining through —“Sport is something that crosses all boundaries and barriers, and I believe in rewriting the history books through my contribution to it. I always say this: the right shot at the right time can change everything.”
I’ve learnt that as a student of the game — from all my (100 and more) partners such as Nadal, Murray, Wawrinka and others. In fact, seven generations of players have come and gone but through the years I’ve been around!” Outside tennis, Leander has always dabbled in other ventures too — but his film debut, Rajdhani Express (2013) pretty much derailed off the tracks immediately. But despite him being in regal form on the turf, there is talk of his retirement being around the corner — could he be tempted to try acting again and take on the film industry wholeheartedly?
“Of course! The silver screen is a wonderful medium – an art form, which I’d be delighted to succeed in. In fact, I’d love to tell the story of my life titled Lionheart (the meaning of his name) make it into a script, and if possible, star in it as well. The idea excites me tremendously. I learnt from my mistakes on the first attempt during Rajdhani… in fact, the story was changed seven times! Next time, I’ll ensure a strong production team is in place, and the script has to be solid,” Leander smiles and concludes.
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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