Leander Paes, one of India’s greatest Tennis star, has emphasized the critical need for a coordinated effort to revive Indian tennis.
Speaking at the Tennis Premier League (TPL) auction in Mumbai, Paes stressed the value of more tournaments, an organized approach to developing future talent, and grassroots development.
Leander Paes highlights the necessity for teamwork in reviving Indian tennis, emphasizing the importance of grassroots development and increasing the number of youth competitions.
Mahesh Bhupathi, Sania Mirza, and Leander Paes shared the stage in a rare group reminiscence to the better times in Indian tennis on a wet Wednesday night in Mumbai. when there were more Indian players on the professional circuit, when they participated in more Olympics and Grand Slams, and when they had more influence when serving as Davis Cup players.
Sweden blanked India in their most recent Davis Cup match, which highlighted the current state of insufficiency in the sport in the nation, particularly in singles. It calls for growth and a team effort, according to Paes, one of India’s finest Davis Cup players who holds the record for the most appearances and match wins and for whom “playing the Davis Cup has been the greatest honour.”
“There’s still a lot of work to be done in Indian tennis and the Davis Cup,” Paes stated following the player auction for the next sixth season of the Tennis Premier League (TPL), which takes place in December.
“In my opinion, we should all unite to support the growth of the sport. It will probably take another ten years or so, in my opinion, to produce another Grand Slam winner. I hope I’m wrong, but maybe I’m not. Perhaps before then, someone steps forward and wins. However, there is still much work to be done in order to produce a Grand Slam winner.
The 18-time Grand Slam doubles winner and 1996 Olympic bronze medallist in singles believed that the process of improvement needed to begin at the bottom, with building a more systematic framework rather than depending on a strange freak of skill to occasionally show up.
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According to Paes, “(The improvement has to be) multiple fold.” “On a fundamental level, the reason we’re in this position now is because, for the past 40 years, only a few players have emerged. I think the foundation needs to be improved. Talent must be identified, developed, tested, and admitted into academies. and establish a sizable youth base.
Additionally, resume holding a lot of competitions in India so that the youth can gain experience. Since there aren’t many competitions in India, I have a great deal of admiration for these athletes who have persevered day in and day out and have spent their hard-earned money to travel and compete. They are laboring so hard to make ends meet, barely scraping by.
Paes demanded that all parties involved make a concerted effort. That too, during a period when tensions between a few elite players and the association have resurfaced.
He stated, “To come together and push for that growth, it’s going to take a cumulative effort of the players, the administration, the corporates, and the entire tennis fraternity in India.”
The 44-year-old Rohan Bopanna, who won the Australian Open doubles championship in 2024 alongside Matt Ebden, impressed Paes with his current form and was signed by the Paes-backed Shrachi Delhi Rarh Tigers for the TPL season. Paes praised Rohan’s achievement, saying, “To see another (Grand Slam) champion come through has been wonderful.”