Vijay Amritraj and Leander Paes become first Asians to be inducted to Tennis Hall of fame
Vijay Amritraj and Leander Paes have become the first Asians to be inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame. It is a proud moment in Indian sports as the former Tennis players are being honoured for their achievements in the sport. The two achieved a lot in their career and have been deservedly given the honour. Paes expressed his happiness after being recognized by the Tennis world.
“It has been my life’s honour to play for my country for over three decades in a sport that has given and taught me everything. This acknowledgement is indeed the ultimate accolade for every tennis player. Induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame belongs not just to me, but to our billion-plus Indians,” said Paes after being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
India will be the 28th nation with Hall of Fame inductees in Tennis. Paes and Amritraj will be part of the 264 other inductees from the past. As an athlete, Paes achieved a lot in his career. The former Tennis player has 18 grand slams to his name. Along with Martina Navratilova, Paes has the joint most mixed doubles titles in the history of Grand Slam events.
Legacy of Leander Paes
Along with his mixed doubles partner, Martina Hingis, Paes is the only player to have completed a career slam in their category. In the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Paes became the only Indian to win a medal in the singles category, as he won the bronze medal in the event. The former Indian Tennis star remained the number 1 doubles player in Tennis for a very long time.
For a total of 462 weeks, Paes remained in the top 10 of the ATP world rankings. He spent 37 weeks as the world’s number 1 player and won a total of 55 trophies on a world tour. Paes had an incredible longevity of playing 30 years for India in Tennis. He holds the record for most doubles wins in the history of Davis Cup (45). On Saturday in Newport, Rhode Island, the two Indians will be inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame.
Related Posts
