Leander Paes never shies away from expressing his opinion. This time, he is making it known that he wants to team with Sania Mirza at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has not announced any doubles pairings for the games set to take place in 2016.
Paes Eager For Last Shot To Medal
At the age of 42, Leander Paes knows that 2016 might well be his final shot at competing for an Olympic medial. Paes has only won one medal in his Olympic career. That came in 1996 when he took home the bronze in the men's singles competition in Atlanta. It was a shocking finish for a man better known for his doubles prowess. Paes has taken part in six Olympic games with fourth place as his best doubles finish. Paes is seeking to change that in 2016 in Rio. Paes recently told reporters in attendance at the IDBI Kolkata Marathon that he believes himself to be the best fit to partner with Sania Mirza in the mixed doubles competition at the Rio Olympics next year.
"With Sania Mirza, I played at London (Olympics), we lost to the eventual champions, (Victoria) Azarenka, (Max) Mirnyi (of Belarus). We had a great chance in that game too. We have both had good seasons, so on merit, it is an obvious choice to let me and Sania go. But after what happened in London, I don't think anything can be taken for granted. But I hope another London does not happen. The best team should go and represent the country and it should be done on merit. I am looking forward to playing with Sania and Rohan, if I get the opportunity,"
The London games Paes made reference to were a mess for Indian tennis. A battle between Mahesh Bhupathi and Paes on team selection saw India send two separate men's teams to the Olympics in 2012. Paes paired with Vishnu Vardhan after Bhupathi balked at playing with Paes rather than this regular doubles partner Rohan Bopanna. The AITA wound up pairing Paes with Mirza in mixed doubles much to Mirza's chagrin. The pairing seemed to be a backdoor deal cut to appease Paes after he was left without the men's doubles partner that he wanted in London.
Paes Says Grand Slam Mixed Doubles Success Will Carry Over
Paes says that he will be focusing on mixed doubles in Rio, even as he is likely to be paired with Bopanna in men's doubles. Paes said his run in mixed doubles at Grand Slams in 2015 should show his attention to that competition. Paes teamed with Martina Hingis in all four Grand Slams this past season, winning the title at three of four slams. The only slam the pairing failed to win was the French Open. The nine-time mixed doubles Grand Slam champion told reporters, "For Rio, I have focused a lot on mixed doubles, I have been focused on the Grand Slams as mixed doubles is only played in four Grand Slams. Winning three of the four Grand Slams leading into the Olympics, it's pretty obvious where my focus is."
Mixed Doubles Competition Looks Fierce
Whether Sania Mirza is paired with Paes or Bopanna, the competition at the Rio games figures to be stacked. Martina Hingis has already announced that she will pair with Roger Federer for the competition to represent Switzerland. Rumors have also swirled than Swiss phenom Belinda Bencic could form a secondary Swiss dream team with two-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka. Spain's Rafael Nadal has hinted that he could team up with Garbine Muguruza, while Carla Suarez-Navarro is also another option for the lefty.
There could be several other top flight pairings possible for Rio. American twins Bob and Mike Bryan have not announced plans on if they will played mixed doubles or not, but Mike is believed to likely team up with Bethanie Mattek-Sands. That pairing won the French Open mixed doubles title in 2015, as well as making the semifinals at Wimbledon. So it appears that no matter whether it is Bopanna-Mirza or Paes-Mirza, the team from India will have its work cut out to medal in Rio.