Leander Paes becomes first Asian male to attain this feat
Legendary tennis star Leander Paes became the first Asian male to get nominated for the International Tennis Hall of Fame in the player category. The tennis ace, who has bagged 18 Grand Slams in men's and mixed doubles will be contending for the honor alongside other nominees such as Cara Black, Ana Ivanovic, Carlos Moya, Daniel Nestor, and Flavia Pennetta in the player category.
"It means the world to me,"Paes said on getting nominated
"It means the world to me that I am the first Asian man to be nominated for the International Tennis Hall of Fame in the Payer category," Paes stated. "After three decades of passion for our sport and playing 1.3-plus billion Indians in the Olympics and the Davis Cup, I am thrilled that my hard work has been recognized," the legendary star added.
China's Li Na became the first Asian to get nominated
Before Paes, Chinese tennis stalwart Li Na was the first Asian to get nominated for the prestigious honor in 2019. Li Na had won the Australian Open and the French Open besides winning several other amazing accolades.
Vijay Amritraj also nominated for ITHF in the contributor category
Indian tennis stalwart Vijay Amritraj is also nominated for the ITHF in the contributor category. "The ballot will also include two nominees in the Contributor Category, Vijay Amritraj and renowned journalist Richard Evans," ITHF said on their official website.
18 Grand Slams won by Paes
Paes has won 18 Grand Slams, more than any other tennis player in India. He has also been the top-ranked tennis star in doubles. He claimed eight majors in men's doubles and 10 in mixed doubles. He won a Career Slam in both disciplines. Paes was the world number one for 37 weeks and was in the doubles top 10 rankings for 462 weeks.
India's only tennis player with an Olympic medal
Paes is undoubtedly India's greatest tennis player as he is the only one to win an Olympic medal back in 1996. He bagged the bronze medal at the Atlanta Summer Games. It was India's first Olympic medal in 44 medals. Paes came from behind to beat Fernando Meligeni in the bronze medal match after losing to Andre Agassi. He eventually won, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
