'Aiyana has added years to my legs'

Two months short of his 35th birthday Leander Paes tells Sukhwant Basra that retirement is the last thing on his mind. Instead of being distracted by the demands of being a family man Paes feels that the birth of his daughter has added years to his career

You have been on the road for close to 18 years. How long do you think you can carry on playing at the highest echelons of the game?
As long as my legs carry on. I have had a clean lifestyle. Things like drinking, smoking or other bodily abuse just do not figure in my scheme of things. I have a clean body that I have taken good care of and I have had no major injuries. Even now my muscles do not protest the rigours of competitive tennis. I believe that longevity in ones career at the top speaks of true excellence of a sportsman.

But surely the travel and the constant pressure to perform must be a deterrent.
The worst bit about travel is the hanging around airports. Unlike my formative years when the cheapest ticket was always the priority, I can now afford first class so travel itself is not as much of an issue. The adrenaline rush of playing tight matches is something I still revel in. As long as I enjoy the fitness and the training required to play top-class tennis I won’t even think of giving it all up.

But surely being a family man now has its share of demands. How’s that affected your outlook towards a career that has you on the road for at least 30 weeks a year?
The presence of Aiyana (daughter) and Rhea (partner) has actually added years to my career. We try to travel to tournaments together as much as possible. That makes the tour easier and far more enjoyable.

Most players break down due to the loneliness on tour. With my family along I am instead enjoying travel so much more now. In the same cities that I have visited countless times before, I am now discovering new places as I try to take Aiyana to all the sights. There is more purpose to what at one time was a meaningless trudge from one hotel to another. I am finally seeing the world without the numbing focus of playing matches alone.

You seem to have mellowed down after the birth of your daughter. Has the presence of Aiyana changed you in any way?
It’s the most enjoyable thing on the planet to have a child. Being a parent is an incredibly humbling and learning experience. I have had to make new plans because of the baby. Till the time she has to go to school I am enjoying showing her as much of the world as I can. Her presence also makes it so much easier to deal with all the other nonsense that keeps happening away from the court.

Apart from the tennis issues there have been enough controversies about your private life too. How do you block all of that out to keep performing?
This whole celeb angle means that you live in a fish bowl. Everything that one does — or even does not as is the case most of the times — is observed and gets reported. There is lots of sensationalising.

But one’s developed quite a thick skin over the years. End of the day I sleep on my own pillow and if I rest easy, I don’t really care what the world thinks. Its important for me to share the journey of life with those close to me, the rest does not matter.

Tell us about ‘Magic Racket’ your proposed animation project.
Animation is a spillover from watching my daughter grow. Magic Racket will have Leander as the central animation character. The series will look to educate kids about pertinent issues. Healthy living and a sporty lifestyle are the central ingredients.

The year has not begun too well for you. Your ranking is falling and there has been a lack of success with the new partner.
Yes it’s not begun on the best note. I may go down to about 30 in the rankings but I will get back. I am still hungry to win slams and me and Paul (Hanley) are working on getting the partnership on track. We have hired Rick Leach (winner of ten Grand Slam titles from a total of 21 finals) who has given me more confidence to just keep playing without being hassled about age. I hope to play with Paul for a couple of years and I feel we will do well together eventually.

Coming back to the first question, how many years do you realistically see yourself playing?
As of now the 2010 Commonwealth Games is what I am looking at. As long as I don’t get injured don’t count out the 2012 London Games either (laughs). Seriously I am not even thinking about hanging up that racket as long as I still feel alive and charged up every time I step out on court.