Sports stats



WTT Washington Kastles

The OSC Interview: WTT Finals MVP Leander Paes

by Fran Stuchbury
August 7, 2015 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles


Leander Paes of the Washington Kastles Congratulates Teammate Sam Querrey
Leander Paes of the Washington Kastles Congratulates Teammate Sam Querrey
(Washington Kastles, Credit: MAVPP)

OurSports Central contributor Fran Stuchbury spoke to the Washington Kastles' Leander Paes who was named World TeamTennis Finals MVP following his team's 24-18 victory over the Austin Aces. Paes has played all seven WTT seasons with the Kastles and is the only player on the team to win all six of the team's titles. He was named the WTT Male MVP in 2011. Paes partnered with Kastles teammate Martina Hingis to win the 2015 Australian Open mixed doubles crown and is a former world number one in doubles. He has won 16 Grand Slam titles (8 men's, 8 mixed), the most Grand Slams of any Indian player. Paes also won an Olympic bronze medal in singles at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Fran Stuchbury: How much does it mean to you to win your sixth WTT Championship with the Kastles?

Leander Paes: It's my sixth championship out of seven seasons with the Kastles. It's just phenomenal to come in year after year, lead the team as the captain and take that responsibility. It's something I take a lot of pride in especially when I get the chance to start out the match playing mixed doubles with Martina Hingis. To take a match in my hands, on my shoulders and give the team a great lead: these are things I live for after playing 26 years on the world tour and winning 16 Grand Slams. To be able to come in night and night out to do this is a great joy.

FS: How much of an honor was it to be named Finals MVP?

LP: It's a huge honor to come out and be MVP of the championship. To go out there and play hard every night, I want to thank my whole team on the tennis court; I want to thank the Kastles staff behind the scenes, which tirelessly do so much work. I have to thank every one of the fans. I dedicate my Finals MVP to everyone in the Kastles family.

FS: How do you like working with Kastles head coach Murphy Jensen?

LP: I love it; he always has my back every day, and he is like a brother to me. Him and his brother Luke won the French Open doubles title in 1993 when I was growing up and watching them play doubles. Murph is a great character; he handles the different personalities on the team because we got a lot, and he has done a great job so I'm really proud of him.

FS: How much of an honor was it to win a bronze medal playing tennis in the Summer Olympics in Atlanta in 1996 for your country, India?

LP: It's huge. My father is an Olympian, and he won a bronze medal in field hockey at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. My mother captained the Indian basketball team in the 1980 Asian Basketball Championship. To grow up in a family like that; a conversation at breakfast and at the dining table was always about striving for excellence. It was a lot of hard work to get to my first Olympics in Barcelona in 1992 when you didn't have a tennis infrastructure in the 1980's. To win a bronze medal in singles at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta was huge and phenomenal.

In the 2016 Summer Olympics at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, I will be preparing for my seventh Olympics that are a world record for any men's tennis player that has played the game. To go there and represent my country of India, represent my flag and my fans all across the world; I am doing it for them.

FS: How do you like dealing with the Kastles fans who have been loud and passionate all season long?

LP: They are the best fans in the stands in the league; I love them. We were one hour away from winning the championship and every one of them was there. You had kids here; you had men, women, mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers. You got the whole community here. I love playing for the fans and I dedicate my Finals MVP to them.




Images from this story

Leander Paes of the Washington Kastles
Leander Paes of the Washington Kastles
(MAVPP)		 Leander Paes of the Washington Kastles Congratulates Teammate Sam Querrey
Leander Paes of the Washington Kastles Congratulates Teammate Sam Querrey
(MAVPP)		  



World TeamTennis Stories from August 7, 2015


The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central