Leander Adrian Paes ( born 17 June 1973) is an Indian former professional tennis player. Regarded as one of the greatest tennis players in doubles, he holds the record for the most doubles wins in the Davis Cup. Paes has also won eight men’s doubles and ten mixed doubles Grand Slam titles as well. Further, 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 Championships. In addition to this, his mixed doubles Wimbledon title in 2010 made him the second man (after Rod Laver) to win Wimbledon titles in three decades. He has also won a bronze medal for India in men’s singles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Moreover, he competed in consecutive Olympics from 1992 to 2016, making him the first Indian and only tennis player to compete in seven Olympic Games.
Player Overview
| Full name | Leander Adrian Paes |
| Profession | Tennis player |
Physical stats
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Weight | 78 kg |
| Waist | 31 inches |
| Biceps | 14 inches |
| Eye colour | Dark brown |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Tattoos | None |
Personal info
| Birthday | 17 June 1973 |
| Age | 48 |
| Birthplace | Calcutta |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Calcutta |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Zodiac sign | Gemini |
| School | La Martiniere, Calcutta |
| College/University | St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta |
| Hobbies/Interests | Scuba diving |
| Food habit | Non-vegetarian |
| Relationship status | In a relationship with actress Kim Sharma |
Favourites
| Tennis player | Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer |
| Actor | Amitabh Bachchan, Sean Connery |
| Movie | Dances with Wolves, The Bourne Identity |
| Music | R&B, Jazz |
| Food | Rasam and Rice, South Indian food |
Family Details
| Father’s name | Veces Paes |
| Father’s profession | Hockey player |
| Mother’s name | Jennifer Paes |
| Mother’s profession | Basketball player |
| Siblings | None |
| Children | Aiyana Paes |
Professional Info
| Coach | Sanjay Singh |
| Playing style | Serve and volley |
| Professional debut | 1991 |
| First tournament won on tour | 1998 Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, Newport |
| Signature shot | Backhand slice |
| Equipment used | Rackets- Yonex and Clothing- Nike |
| First grand slam appearance | US Open 1994 |
| First grand slam win | US Open 1996 |
| Number of grand slams won | 18 ( 8 Doubles 10 Mixed Doubles) |
| Number of titles won | 55 |
| Career best ranking | Singles-73 and Doubles-1 |
| Preferred surface | Hardcourt |
| Win/Loss | Singles- 101–99 (50.5%), Doubles- 770–457 (62.8%) |
| Prize money | $8,587,586 |
Controversies
Leander Paes and his longtime doubles partner, Mahesh Bhupathi had a bad falling out in the early 2000s. This impacted the Indian Davis Cup team, Indian tennis as well as their individual careers.
Vehicles owned
Car collection: Ford Endeavour, Porsche Cayenne
Money and Net worth
Net worth: $6 million
Social Media Handles
Instagram: @leanderpaes
Facebook: Leander Paes
Twitter: @Leander
Awards & Honours
Paes received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award, India’s highest sporting honour, in 1996–97; the Arjuna Award in 1990; the Padma Shri award in 2001; and India’s third-highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan prize in January 2014, for his outstanding contribution to tennis in India. He won a bronze medal for India in men’s singles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. He was also named as the sports ambassador for the state of Haryana.
