Grand Slam Salute To The Legend- Leander Paes

A colourful program, titled ‘Grand Slam Salute To The Legend’, was held at DKS Club Kolkata on 17th Sept., 2025 eve to honour the living tennis legend Leander Paes.

Bengal Tennis Association (BTA) in collaboration with Dakshin Kalikata Sansad (DKS) celebrated the unparalleled contribution to the world of tennis and Indian sport by the one and only Leander Adrian Paes. It was a fitting recognition of the illustrious career of an icon who has been the beacon of excellence in tennis and inspiration over the past four decades.

Leander Paes ascended the felicitation stage at DKS after a well-synchronised Guard of Honour presented by young tennis talents of Bengal.

Leander Paes, winner of 18 Grand Slam doubles titles, was felicitated on stage in front of a host of dignitaries and hundreds of his fans & followers by Arup Biswas (Hon’ble Sports Minister of West Bengal), Debasish Kumar (President of Dakshin Kalikata Sansad) and Hironmoy Chatterjee (outgoing President of Bengal Tennis Association).

The felicitation program at DKS started with a minute’s silence in memory of Leander’s most staunch supporter and mentor, his father, Dr. Vece Paes (1972 Munich Olympics Hockey Bronze medallist), who had passed away in August 2025.

   Dignitaries present during the ceremony spoke highly about the incredible achievements of Leander Paes, especially his fitness, resilience and durability on tennis courts, spanning almost 30 years.

Leander Paes was also proposed to become BTA Chief  by BTA officials.

About Leander:          Leander Adrian Paes (born 17 June, 1973) is arguably greatest Indian former professional tennis player and the first Asian man to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. He is regarded as one of the greatest doubles tennis players of all-time and holds the record for the most doubles wins in the Davis Cup.

  Leander Paes won 18 total Grand Slam titles (eight men’s doubles and ten mixed doubles Grand Slam titles).

He holds a unique career Grand Slam in men’s doubles and mixed doubles, making him one of only three men in the Open era to achieve this distinction and won the rare men’s/mixed double at the 1999 Wimbledon Championships.

His mixed doubles Wimbledon title in 2015 made him the second man to win Wimbledon titles in three different decades and he repeated the feat by winning a Roland Garros title in three different decades.

Paes received many awards, including Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award (India’s highest sporting honor) in 1996–97; the Arjuna Award in 1990; the Padma Shri award in 2001; and India’s third-highest civilian award (Padma Bhushan) prize, in January 2014 for his outstanding contributions to tennis.

  Leander Paes won a bronze medal for India in men’s singles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games making him the first Asian in Olympic history to win a tennis medal and the only Indian to date. He competed in consecutive Olympics from 1992 to 2016, making him the only tennis player to compete in seven Olympic Games.

He is also the most decorated male tennis player in Asian Games history with 5 Gold and 3 Bronze medals. He was won medals in every category (singles, doubles, mixed doubles and team event) and is the highest Indian gold medal winning athlete across all sports in Asian Games history.

He is a former Davis Cup team captain, where in addition his Davis Cup all-time doubles win record with 45 victories, he also has the fourth highest number of overall wins in Davis Cup history with 93 total victories across singles and doubles in a 30 year career for India with match wins in 4 different decades.

Leander Paes retired from professional tennis in 2020, following his last Davis Cup tie in Croatia, with a record 1295 weeks spent ranked in the Top 100 in men’s doubles.

On July 20, 2024, he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.

—News Report compiled by Asish Basak, Hello Kolkata

                                                     Photos- Bivash Lodh