Paes’ playing style was a captivating smorgasbord of speeds, spins, angles and surprises. Whenever Paes took the court, he could just about always be counted on to come up with at least one mind-blowing sequence of shots.
“It’s just the magic of being able to make that tennis ball dance to your rhythm,” Paes said earlier this year in an International Tennis Hall of Fame interview. “Whatever your style is, big inside-out forehand, double-hand backhand, single-hand backhand, topspin, slice, kick-serve, slicer, didn’t matter. It’s tennis. Didn’t matter if you’re a serve or volleyer or a baseliner, it’s tennis.”
The twist took place in another realm. Paes’ career-high singles ranking was No. 73. But there came a singular singles moment that meant the world to him.
In 1996, at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Paes set his sights on earning a medal. His affinity for the Olympics had deep roots, for that was where Paes’ parents, Jennifer and Vece, met (during the 1972 Summer Games in Munich). Jennifer was captain of India’s women’s basketball team, Vece played field hockey. Nine months following those Olympics, Leander entered the world, June 17, 1973.
