Published 21:10 IST, December 25th 2019
Leander Paes announces 2020 to be his last year in professional tennis
Leander Paes on December 25, announced that 2020 would be his last year as a professional tennis player and would retire from the game by the end of next year.
India's ace tennis player, Leander Paes on Wednesday, December 25, announced that 2020 would be his last year as a professional tennis player and would retire from the game by the end of next year. Taking to micro-blogging website Twitter, Paes on the occasion of Christmas wished his fans and thanked his parents for their guidance and support. Furthermore, he thanked his sisters, Jacquie and Maria, and also extended his gratitude to his daughter Aiyana and called her his inspiration.
Paes to play selected tournaments in 2020
Paes, who recently registered a record 44th victory in the Davis Cup doubles match against Pakistan, in his Twitter post stated that he would be playing only a few selected tournaments in the upcoming calendar year. He also thanked his fans and explained that it is his fans who have inspired him. Lastly, the ace tennis player asked fans to share their favourite 'Leander memories' over the years using the #OneLastRoar.
Leander Paes has had a tremendous professional career in tennis since his debut dating back to 1991. Paes had ended India's 40-year drought in the Olympics after he secured a bronze in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. In 1998, Paes-Bhupathi pair reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open, the French Open, and the US Open. In doubles ranking list Paes became number one. Paes and Bhupathi also became the first Indian pair to win the doubles event at the Grand Slam by winning the French Open and the Wimbledon in 1999. This partnership won the gold medal in Asian games in 2002.
Leander Paes' record victory against Pakistan
Leander Paes recently registered his 44th World Record Doubles win against Pakistan. Paes paired with Neduncheziyan to beat Pakistan's Mohammed Shoaib and Hufaiza Abdul Rehman 6-1, 6-3 to whitewash them in the Davis Cup. Paes and his team returned to India on Sunday evening and were greeted at the airport by a number of fans who had come with posters and banners for their tennis heroes.
Updated 21:10 IST, December 25th 2019