French Open | I play for fun, but I play to win, reveals Leander Paes
Leander Paes, who registered a 6-4, 6-4 win over Martin Klizan and Dominic Inglot along with partner Benoit Paire, revealed ahead of his 46th birthday that he is just looking to enjoy while competing. Paes added that he feels ‘blessed’ to have had such a long career on the international stage.
Indian tennis legend Leander Paes, who has accumulated a total of 18 Grand Slam titles, has continued to defy the odds and prove his doubters wrong ahead of his upcoming 46th birthday. Paes, along with his men’s doubles partner Benoit Paire of France, recently registered a 6-4, 6-4 win against Martin Klizan and Dominic Inglot in the opening round of the French Open.
The Indian tennis legend is happy with his performances on the international stage in the last year or so as he revealed that while his main focus is just to enjoy playing, he is always looking for a win as well.
“The game has evolved so much that I’ve reinvented myself maybe 11, 12, 13, 14 times. I’ve just come from the gym. I played a match, and now I’ve just come from the gym to do my work, because for me, if I play, I play to be the best in the world, to win.
“I play for fun, but I play to win. To play against guys who are 20 years younger than me is not easy,” Paes said as per AFP sources.
Paes, who had earlier beat a young Roger Federer in Indian Wells qualifying and won singles bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, added that he feels blessed to have had such a long career on the big stage.
“I’ve been around for 30 years, I’ve been around a long time. I’ve seen 12 generations. I’ve seen guys like (Pete) Sampras here, I’ve seen guys like (Pat) Rafter,” he said at the French Open.
“Tennis has been a beautiful journey for me, I’ve been very blessed to have such a long career. Especially here, to win this four times,” the Indian legend added.
