Leander Paes Age, Height, Family, Career, Net Worth, Lifestyle & Facts

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Full name: Leander Adrian Paes [1] The Times of India

Profession: Tennis Player

Date of Birth: 17 June 1973 (Sunday)

Age (as of 2024): 51 Years

Birthplace: Calcutta

Zodiac sign: Gemini

Nationality: Indian

Hometown: Calcutta, West Bengal

Religion/Religious Views: Christianity

Food Habit: Non-vegetarian

Marriage Date: Year, 2005

Age: 51 Years

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EDUCATION

School: • La Martiniere, Calcutta • Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School, Chennai

College/University: St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta

PHYSICAL STATISTICS

Height (approx.): in centimeters – 178 cm in meters – 1.78 m in feet & inches – 5’ 10”

Weight (approx.): in kilograms – 70 kg in pounds – 154 lbs

Eye Colour: Black

Hair Colour: Black

FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS

Marital Status: Unmarried

Affairs/Girlfriends: • Mahima Chaudhary (2000-2003) (actress) • Rhea Pillai (2005-2014) (model) • Tanvi Shah (2016) (tennis player) • Kim Sharma (actress) (2021-2023) Note: On 5 September 2021, Kim Sharma took to Instagram to confirm their relationship. In April 2023, it was reported that they parted ways. [6] The Times of India

Wife/Spouse: Rhea Pillai (rumored ex-wife) (model) (2005- 2014)

Children: Daughter – Aiyana

Parents: Father – Vece Paes (hockey player) (deceased) Mother – Jennifer Paes (basketball coach)

Siblings: Sister – 2 • Jacqueline • Maria

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Awards: • Arjuna Award (1990) • Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (1996) • Padma Shri Award (2001) • CNN IBN Indian of the Year (2013) • Padma Bhushan Award (2014) • CNN IBN Indian of the Year (2016)

MONEY FACTOR

Career Titles (Singles): 1

Career Titles (Doubles): 54

Career Titles (Mixed Doubles): 10

Cars Collection: • He owns a Porsche Cayenne. • He owns a Ford Endeavour.

OTHER INFORMATION

Turned pro: 1991

Plays: Right-handed (one-handed backhand)

Coach: Dave O’Meara

Highest Ranking (Singles): No. 73 (24 August 1998)

Highest Ranking (Doubles): No. 1 (21 June 1999)

Political Party: All India Trinamool Congress (2021-present) Note: On 29 October 2021, he joined the Trinamool Congress in presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Panaji.

Hobbies: Scuba Diving, Cooking

Sport: Football

Actor: Aamir Khan , Amitabh Bachchan

Tennis Player(s): Novak Djokovic , Rafael Nadal , Roger Federer

Film: Bollywood – Sholay (1975)

Singer(s): Andrea Bocelli, Adele

Book(s): Nelson Mandela ( Long Walk to Freedom) (1994), Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, Michael Jordan: The Life (2014), My Life (2004)

Ice cream: Haagen Dazs mint chocolate chip

Food: Southern Indian with rice, rasam (a broth you put in the rice), with Chicken, Sushi

Music: Soul, Jazz

INTERESTING BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Leander Paes, a name synonymous with Indian tennis, holds an impressive record as the player with the most doubles wins in Davis Cup history. His journey began in 1985 when he enrolled at the Britannia Amritraj Tennis Academy in Madras, now Chennai, under the guidance of coach Dave O’Meara. Reflecting on his formative years in Kolkata, Paes expressed gratitude for growing up in a city that fostered a profound love for sports and community. He recounted his experiences, stating, “Most of my sports experiences were either at school, with my parents, or at the various clubs they were part of. But it was in the Maidans of Kolkata that I learnt the meaning of being a sports person in the truest sense of the word.” This environment not only nurtured his athletic talent but also instilled in him the values of teamwork and community building.

At the age of seventeen, Paes achieved a significant milestone by clinching the Wimbledon Junior title in 1990, which catapulted him to the top of the junior world rankings. This early success paved the way for his participation in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, where he reached the quarter-finals of the doubles event at just nineteen years old. His Olympic journey continued to flourish, and in 1996, he made history by becoming the first Indian since KD Jadhav to win a bronze medal at the Atlanta Olympics. Despite suffering a severe wrist injury during the match, Paes demonstrated remarkable determination, recalling, “Even the physiotherapist and doctors said I was taking a huge risk… I think as an athlete, the greatest thing for me was to win a medal for our people.”

Throughout the 1990s, Paes formed a dynamic partnership with fellow Indian player Mahesh Bhupathi, together becoming one of the most successful doubles teams of their era. Their crowning achievement came in 1999 when they became the first Indian duo to win a Grand Slam event, lifting the Wimbledon doubles trophy. Paes’s illustrious career also saw him representing India at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 as the flagbearer, an honor that underscored his stature in Indian sports. However, his journey was not without challenges; a health scare in 2003 suggested a brain tumor, but it was later revealed to be a brain infection, causing him to miss the US Open that year. Nevertheless, he bounced back, later winning two gold medals in the men’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Doha Asian Games in 2006.

In the years that followed, Paes continued to excel in his sport, capturing the US Open men’s doubles title in 2013 at the remarkable age of 40, making him the oldest man to achieve this feat. His collaboration with Martina Hingis in 2015 brought further acclaim, as they reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open mixed doubles. However, Paes’s life has not been solely defined by tennis; he ventured into acting with his film debut in ‘Rajdhani Express’ in 2013, and in 2021, he announced his entry into politics, joining the All India Trinamool Congress. Additionally, Paes embraced new opportunities post-retirement, including the creation of an animated series, ‘Little Leander,’ aimed at inspiring youth to pursue sports. Beyond his professional pursuits, he is a devoted dog lover and maintains an active lifestyle, often sharing glimpses of his fitness routine on social media. Leander Paes’s multifaceted life continues to resonate with fans, reflecting not just his athletic prowess but also his commitment to inspiring future generations.

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Note: All biographical information compiled from publicly available sources.