In the midst of the celebrations that followed the 6-4 3-6 (10-7) win over Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sam Querrey — 'Lee' is a teetotaler, actually, so he left the 'partying' bit to his friends, choosing instead to work out in the gym! — the 42-year-old was thinking about his nine-year-old daughter Aiyana.
At an age when men battle midlife crisis, Leander Paes is winning Grand Slam titles. On Friday, the 42-year-old captured the 17th of his glittering and seemingly never-ending career, at the US Open in New York.
The mixed doubles crown, which he won in the company of the 'Swiss Miss' Martina Hingis, was the ninth of his career. The duo had triumphed at Wimbledon in July, too. Only the great Martina Navratilova, one of Paes' former partners, has won more Grand Slams (10) with a player of the opposite sex.
In the midst of the celebrations that followed the 6-4 3-6 (10-7) win over Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sam Querrey — 'Lee' is a teetotaler, actually, so he left the 'partying' bit to his friends, choosing instead to work out in the gym! — the 42-year-old was thinking about his nine-year-old daughter Aiyana.
It's common knowledge that Paes is fighting for the custody of his kid with his estranged partner, Rhea Pillai. In fact, Paes is earnestly hoping that the Bandra Family Court accepts his plea to take Aiyana to New Delhi for India's Davis Cup tie against the Czech Republic (September 18-20). The hearing is on Monday.
Paes, who spoke to dna from New York, was happy and nervous. "Only I know how I focus on my tennis in these tough times," he said. "I am hoping I can take my daughter to Delhi. I have been on the road for many months now. And it's important that I take Aiyana to watch me play. She has been to the Olympics; she has seen me win at Wimbledon and win at the US Open. It is at these tournaments that she can see what her papa does for a successful living. It's at these tournaments that I can show her how she can be at her best at whatever she does in life. Aiyana is one of the mascots of the Indian Davis Cup team. The team protects her. They look after her.
How else do I teach my child if I can't show her things through my own life (which happens to be on the tennis court)?
Paes doesn't get to see his daughter very often. But whenever he's in Mumbai, he catches up with his her. However, he doesn't get to stay with her.
"It's really important that I get to stay with my daughter for a few days at a stretch. There's a long weekend coming up (on account of Ganesh Chaturthi) and I hope things work out well. I must add that whatever I do on the tennis court is for Aiyana. It's to secure her future, protect her, pay for her education. And, at the same time, I want to take her with me and show her how hard papa works. She is a great little kid who has a one-on-one relationship with Novak Djokovic (the World No. 1), Hingis and all my Davis Cup teammates," Paes said.
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