WATCH: “Truly my honor to play against you”- Martina Navratilova pays tribute to Leander Paes as he gets inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame

Paes won a total of 18 Grand Slam titles across doubles and mixed doubles.

WATCH: “Truly my honor to play against you”- Martina Navratilova pays tribute to Leander Paes as he gets inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame

Martina Navratilova, Leander Paes (Image via X)

On Saturday (July 20), Martina Navratilova inducted former doubles legend Leander Paes into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, USA. Apart from Paes, Vijay Amritraj was another Indian to get inducted into the group, and they scripted history by becoming the first Indians, well in fact the first Asians to join the elite list. 

Other than Navratilova, other tennis legends like Chris Evert and Andre Agassi were also present during the event in Rhode Island. Two of Navratilova’s 10 mixed doubles major titles came while teaming up with Paes as together they won the 2003 Australian Open and the Wimbledon the same year. 

The passion that the man has for the sport is indescribable. And if all else fails, he smiles on the court and then everybody's heart melts. He was an artist on the court and an amazing athlete… Leander, it is truly my honor to play against you and I enjoyed it a lot when I played with you. 
Martina Navratilova said during the event

Also, Amritraj, who played from 1970 till his retirement in 1993, is a four-time quarterfinalist in Grand Slam singles events and won 15 titles in that category. In doubles, he made it to the 1976 Wimbledon semifinal and the quarterfinals in the US Open in 1973 and 1976. 

Leander Paes has won 18 Grand Slam titles 

Leander Paes is one of the greatest doubles tennis players of all time, as his record speaks of how he dominated on the courts. In his illustrious career, Paes won a total of 18 Grand Slam titles across doubles and mixed doubles, while in singles, he reached his best (third round) in the 1997 US Open. 

Leander Paes
Leander Paes (R) with his father (L) (Image via X) 
Playing for 1.4 billion people could either be pressure, or it could be wind within your wings. I'd like to thank every single one of my compatriots who supported me, stood my way through all the ups and downs, and we've been through a few. 
Leander Paes said during the event 

Paes has also made it into 34 Grand Slam finals and stands on top of most doubles titles in the Davis Cup. The Olympic bronze medal was another prestigious title he won in 1996 in the singles event. The former doubles No.1 retired after adding one singles, 55 doubles, and 10 mixed doubles titles to his trophy cabinet. 

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