NEW DELHI, Aug 16: Indian tennis icon Leander Paes on Saturday launched his website on the occasion of the country's 74th Independence Day.
Paes is the only tennis player from the country to have won a singles Olympic medal as he grabbed a historic bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Games, beating Argentina's Fernando Meligeni in the play-off.
The 18-time Grand Slam winner, launched the website, www.leanderpaes.in.
"My team and I have been so used to meeting face to face but this last five months have been really tough in the lockdown. I have been meeting people during this time but online. And in that I wanted to share something really special I have just designed and launching today the Leander Paes website," Paes said during an Instagram live session.
The Khel Ratna awardee, who is the most successful doubles player in the history of Davis Cup with 46 wins, last played in the first week of March in India's Davis Cup Qualifiers tie against Croatia.
The 47-year-old had announced that he will bring the curtains down on his illustrious career in 2020, which will be his farewell season on the Pro-circuit.
Paes is targeting to be the only tennis player in the history of the sport to play eight successive Olympics. In a career spanning nearly three decades, during which he also overcame a brain tumour, Tokyo Olympics (provided he qualifies) is expected to be his swansong.
However, he is yet to decide on competing in 2021 after majority of the 2020 season was lost due to coronavirus pandemic.
"I feel like once I know that it is safe to travel and get back to the tour. I will get back into playing tennis again. It's just left to see whether it will happen in 2021 or whether the Olympics will happen in 2021," Paes said. - PTI
