Kolkata, Jun 17 (UNI) Tennis icon Leander Paes, who was one of the most successful
doubles players in tennis history, with eight career Grand Slam doubles titles and ten
career Grand Slam mixed doubles championships, turned 45 on Sunday.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wished Leander on the occasion.
“Happy birthday to you, @Leander. May you continue to win laurels for the country
and make us proud,” Ms Banerjee posted on her social networking page.
Born on June 17, 1973 in Kolkata, Paes recently made headlines when he recorded
his 43rd doubles win in the Davis Cup tie against China, the most by any player in the
world.
He is amazingly still active in the professional tennis circuit as a doubles and mixed
doubles player.
Paes considered to be one of the best doubles and mixed doubles players of all time,
having achieved a career Grand Slam in each discipline.
He has won eight doubles and ten mixed doubles Grand Slam titles, and is the oldest
man to have won a Grand Slam title.
Paes achieved the rare men's doubles/mixed doubles double at the 1999 Wimbledon tournament. His mixed doubles Wimbledon title in 2010 made him the second man (after
Rod Laver) to win Wimbledon titles in three decades.
One of the most successful professional Indian tennis players, he has received the
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, India's highest sporting honour, in 1996–97; the Arjuna
Award in 1990; the Padma Shri award in 2001 and its 3rd Highest Civilian Award the
Padma Bhushan in January 2014 for his outstanding contribution to tennis in India.
He won a bronze medal for India in singles in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
Leander competed in consecutive Olympic appearances from 1992 to 2016, making
him the first Indian and only tennis player to compete at seven Olympic Games.
He is a former Davis Cup team captain, and holds the record for the most Davis
Cup doubles wins with 43 victories (surpassing Nicola Pietrangeli who has 42
victories.)
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