Indiër Paes kondigt afscheid aan na 29 seizoenen proftennis
Leander Paes stopt op het einde van het volgende seizoen met tennis. De 46-jarige Indiër was sinds 1991 actief in het profcircuit.
“Ik wil aankondigen dat 2020 mijn afscheidsjaar wordt als professioneel tennisser”, vertelt Paes op Twitter. ”In 2020 zal ik nog enkele toernooien spelen, maar vooral met mijn team, fans en familie genieten van mijn laatste jaar in het tennis.”
Paes was vooral bekend van het dubbelspel. Hij won alle Grand Slams in het dubbelspel en gemengd dubbelspel. In totaal was hij goed voor 54 dubbelspeltitels waaronder achttien Grand Slam-titels.
In het enkelspel won Paes maar één toernooi. In 1998 was hij de winnaar in het Amerikaanse Newport. Ook won hij brons in het enkelspel op de Olympische Spelen in Atlanta.
Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram
Merry Christmas everyone! Here’s wishing all of you and your families a fabulous year ahead filled with health, happiness and excitement. This being said, I want to announce 2020 as my farewell year as a pro tennis player. Firstly, I want to thank my parents for their genetics, guidance, discipline, environment they created and unconditional love they have always shown me throughout my life. I would not be who I am without your unstinting support and belief in me. I love you ❤ I want to thank my two sisters Jacquie and Maria. They are my Rocks. Being older than me, they have brought me up to understand the ups and downs of life’s journey. And have brought me up to understand how to be a gentleman as well as stand firm to our beliefs and morals that our parents have instilled in us. I love you two ❤ I want to thank my daughter Aiyana, for teaching me that the most beautiful thing in the world is to have a daughter. You are my inspiration. Papa loves you 💖 I am looking forward to the 2020 tennis calendar where I will be playing a few select tournaments, traveling with my team and celebrating with all my friends and fans around the world. It is all of you who have inspired me to become me and I want to take this year to say “Thank you” to you. I would love to hear your favorite “Leander memories” over the years using #OneLastRoar tagging me and I will be sharing mine too throughout the course of the year. 2020 is going to be an emotional one and I look forward to seeing all of you out there Roaring with me 🦁 It’s been an honour being your LionHeart 🙏🏽 I hope Santa is being kind to all of you. God Bless, Leander #OneLastRoar
Een bericht gedeeld door Leander Paes (@leanderpaes) op25 Dec 2019 om 6:19 (PST)
Leander Paes neemt na 29 jaar afscheid. (PRO SHOTS/Action Images)
