Mumbai: The 43-year-old tennis maestro of India- Leander Paes accolades the Spanish line up for the Davis Cup World Group Play-off tie against India, starting Friday, and admits there’s a lot to learn from ace Spanish heavyweight Rafael Nadal.
Learning is a never ending process and our 18 Grand Slam doubles title holder very well attests to that. Paes wants every budding tennis player to pay attention to the line up provided for the Davis Cup by Spain.
For the youngsters to soak in some knowledge, Paes praised Rafa by adding, “Spanish team to me is one of the most professional teams. They fight together. I can’t say enough of respect I have for this team, starting with Rafa, one of the greatest. I am lucky I got a chance to play doubles with him (in Paris Masters, 2015). It’s not just about how he plays tennis but the way he conducts himself. He is a great ambassador of the game”.
“It’s a great showcase of tennis in India. If I were 9,10, 15-year old budding athlete, I would be packing the stadium, every single day. To come and watch a 14-time Grand Slam champion is unbelievable. For me even now, at this stage of my career, where I have played 30 years, you can come out and watch what Rafa does and learn so much,” Paes happily agreed without hesitation.
“You can learn about the footwork, about the power, the generation of shots, the follow through, the swing the rituals after the practice,” he further elaborated.
India’s ace tennis persona confesses the above marring all qualms, even though he has completed Career Slams in both men’s doubles and mixed doubles and has competed in a record seven Olympics with a singles bronze.
Paes, who is just one win shy of becoming the ace doubles players in the history of Davis Cup, said India’s singles players — Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar Ramanathan — will get to showcase their talent amidst the best.
“You have nothing to lose. You have got us here (World Group Play-off stage) and we are proud of that. You have crossed this hurdle at the US Open and now playing greats of the game. (you need to find) How does my game match up with them. You can watch how Ferrer moves on baseline, how Rafa plays that forehand. Most people worry about winning or losing, but at end of the day you need to keep improving,” Paes, partnered with Italian great Nicola Pietrangeli on 42 doubles wins, said.
Pietrangeli also holds the most singles wins record in Davis Cup with an additional 78 victories in 66 ties. Paes said his job was to nurture the new generation in this tie, “leading by example”.
“I was first on the court and last to leave. I hope kids on the team saw that. My volley is not bad but I am still working on that with my coach. The drill I generate, hitting down the line, backhand, cross-court. More than the talk, it’s action,” he further accounted for being the exemplar.
Making a mention to the young players such as Sumit Nagal, who need to conquer the next level faster. “Can Sumit Nagal after winning junior Wimbledon, spend three days with me and absorb a few things. Before the next tie, he needs to improve. If we are working on the same thing in February too then…Davis Cup is a learning curve,” Paes further adds.
On being asked who he would prefer to play the doubles with — Nagal or Myneni — Paes said he won’t make any preferences. “I am ready for anybody. I have played through nine generations of players and hence whoever they put me with, I am ready. It does not matter. My job is to nurture the young players,” he said.
He expects the next generation players to be that good that they would take Paes’s place in the team. “Let the juniors come up and surpass me, and say Lee you don’t have a spot, I will sit down. Part of my responsibility is to pass on the knowledge. I push them like hell. I am still beating them in games, what’s going on. That’s a practice and not match.”