Leander Paes, a former professional tennis player from India, is known to be one of the greatest doubles players in the sport's history. He won 18 Grand Slam Titles over his 20-year career and won an Olympic gold medal, making him one of the most accomplished athletes in the history of Indian tennis.
Paes began his political journey in 2021 when he joined the Trinamool Congress. However, ahead of the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, he switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party, marking a significant shift in his political alignment and supporting the party’s campaign for the state.
Born in Kolkata in 1973, Leander Paes comes from a sports-oriented family. His father, Vece Paes, was an Olympic medalist in hockey, while his mother, Jennifer Paes, represented India in basketball. He trained at the Britannia Amritraj Tennis Academy in Chennai, where he developed his early skills.
Paes began his professional tennis career in the early 1990s and gained international attention by winning the junior Wimbledon title in 1990. He later became a key player for India in the Davis Cup, contributing significantly to the team’s successes over the years and earning a reputation for his fighting spirit and leadership.
One of the highlights of Paes' career was winning a bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, which made him the first Indian male to win an individual Olympic medal since independence from Britain. This achievement is one of the most memorable moments in Indian tennis history.
Paes has received many prestigious awards for his contributions to sports during his career, including the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Padma Shri Award, and Padma Bhushan Award. He remained an elite competitor into the latter stages of his professional career before retiring from tennis in 2021 and subsequently stepping into politics.
