There’s still a lot that must fall his way if Leander Paes is to become the first Indian ever to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. But for the 18-time Grand Slam champion, just being among the six nominees in the player category is an honour in itself.
Addressing a group of reporters, the 50-year-old Paes reflected on his three-decade old career, which has now brought him to the cusp of another prestigious accolade.
“For me, just the nomination into the International Tennis Hall of Fame is very humbling and of great prestige, because to be the first Indian to be nominated in the player category is special, also to be the first Asian male to be nominated into the player category is phenomenal,” said Paes.
“There’s some greats there. Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe, Rod Laver, who is one of my favourites, apart from Borg, McEnroe, the Williams sisters, Navratilova, Hingis and Chris Evert. It’s very special for this young kid from India to be among these people.”
