Leaner Paes

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Full Name Leander Adrian Paes
Origin of his name Name of a Greek soldier
Nickname(s) Rog, Lee, Superman of Indian Tennis
Date of birth 17th June 1973
Place of birth Goa, India
Sun Sign Gemini
Height 5’10
Weight 78 kg
Career Tennis professional
Family
  • Father : Vece -> Olympic hockey player and Member of the Indian field hockey team in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.
  • Mother : Jennifer -> International basketball player and Member of the basketball team
  • Sister
Education
  • La Martinere Calcutta.
  •  Britannia Tennis Academy  from 1985 to 1990.
Residence Calcutta, India/Orlando, Florida.
Debut (Turned Pro) 1991
Plays Right Handed
Grand Slam Titles won 3
Coach Bob Carmichael,Dave O’Meara,sanjay singh
Other favourite sports Rugby, soccer, cricket, football, table tennis.
Influential persons Mother Theresa, Pele
Health
  • At age three he suffered from epileptic fits.
  • At ten, he had Oscar Sclatter’s disease, which is an injury to the knee joints in children, and had to wear a braces
  • At age thirty had a parasitic infection called neurocysticercosis
Loves Watching movies, plays, musical concerts and  playing games other than tennis.
Favourite film
  • English – The rock
  • Hindi- Dilwale duhaniya le jayenge
Ex-girlfriends Anisa, Mahima chaudhary
Memorable moment
  • Beating Pete Sampras in Pilot Pen International men’s tennis championship in New Haven August 20, 1998.
  • Singles win against France in Frejus in 1995.
  • Doubles crown with Mahesh at Wimbledon 1999.
Charity Contributed US$ 2000 towards the education of the five poor boys from Future Hope India in Calcutta
Ancestor Bengali poet Michael Madhusudhan Dutt.
  • father: meticulousness
  • mother: speed
Before going to the tennis court Must pack the bags in a certain manner. Always carries extra shoes, wrist bands, grips, rackets, racket strings.
Highest award from the  Indian Government Padma Shri in 2001
Mahesh Bhupathi about him His biggest strength is his heart. He always gives a 100% when he is on the tennis court.
in tennis Rod Laver and Jimmy Connors
Admires Monica Seles, Pat Rafter
Milestones
  • 1996: Won the Atlanta Olympics bronze medal, becomes the second Indian man in history to do so.
  • 1998-99: Won the US and Autralian open Doubles’ championship along with Mahesh Bhupathi, becomes the world’s best doubles player.
  • 1990: Won the  Wimbledon Junior title and ranked as the No.1 junior player in the world
Interesting facts
  • Started playing tennis at age 5.
  • Carried the Indian flag in the Sydney olympics2000
  • Greeted by 5,000 people at airport when he arrived home at 4 a.m. after becoming the first athlete from India to win an individual bronze medal since 1952.
  • #1 Doubles Player in the World in 1999
  • #1 Tennis Player from India for over a decade
  • Trained at L.G.E. Sports Science Center in Orlando.
  • Lycra MTV Style Awards for Most Stylish Person in Sports 2003
  • Captain of the Indian Davis Cup Team
Dream To build a tennis institute in India similar to one in Orlando USA
Quote “I always seem to rise to the occasion whenever pushed against the wall.”

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