Leander Paes: Hits and Misses

Indian Tennis player Leander Paes turned 45 on Monday. The oldest man to have won a grand slam title, Paes has come a long way to reach where he stands today. However, Paes has also been a controversy-magnet. To the unknown, here are some of his not so happy instances.

2008 Olympics

Following their victory at the Asian Games in 2006, the split between Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes took the fans by shock. Many questions pertaining to their split still remains unclear.

In the same year Bhupathi made an announcement saying that the decision to split was Paes’ and not his. He was, however, happy that the split happened at a high note following their victory at the Asian Games.

However, post the split, one question that kept riddling everyone was the fate of 2008 Olympics.

Despite of the rift, the duo, however, decided to play together, slamming their way into the finals where they lost to the eventual gold-winners Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka.

2012 Olympics

Indian woman Tennis player Sania Mirza had showed her resentment towards being partnered with Leander Paes during the 2012 Olympics, which, the AITA did not approve. Mirza later said that she would be ‘preferred to be partnered with Bhupathi’.

Due to this, Vece Paes in a television interview said that he needed ‘written assurance’ from Mirza that she would partner him in the mixed doubles and not with anyone else. However, after Bhupathi refused to pair with Paes, AITA was compelled to create double teams.

Neither pair was unable to progress after the second round with Bhupathi and Bopanna facing defeat in the quarter finals. Mirza who was ‘forced’ to be partnered with Paes said that she was used as a ‘bait' by the AITA to pacify two players’

Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna Slams Leander

Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna, who brought back the bronze medal after losing to Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram in the semifinals during the Rio Olympics in 2016 rankled Paes.

When asked about India’s defeat, Paes said that the best team was not put forward for the Olympics, and that it was a great opportunity missed. Mirza and Bopanna slammed Paes’ reaction on Twitter. Sania in her Tweet said “The ONLY way to win with a toxic person, is not to play!!!” followed by Bopanna who said “At it again!! ...the usual ploy to stay in the news by slanging fellow players in media”.