India’s Paes and Amritraj make history by joining the Tennis Hall of Fame

NEWPORT – Former world number one doubles player Leander Paes and tennis commentator, actor and player Vijay Amritraj on Saturday became the first Asian men to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

The first members from India were joined by British tennis journalist and author Richard Evans at the induction ceremony at the Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.

Paes talked about his youth, playing football and hockey before turning to tennis and eventually, like his father (the captain of the hockey team), winning an Olympic medal.

“It is a huge honor for me to stand on this stage, not only with these legends of the sport, people who have inspired me every day of my life. Not because you have only won Grand Slams, not because you have shaped our sport, but because each of these people has shaped the world we live in,” Paes said.

“I want to thank you very much for giving hope to this Indian boy.”

Amritraj (70) played from 1970 until his retirement in 1993. He won 15 ATP singles titles and 399 matches. He was ranked 18th in the world and helped India reach the Davis Cup final in 1974 and 1987.

“I feel humbled and honored to join this incredible and exclusive group that has brought so much glory to our sport,” said Amritraj.

After his active career, Amritraj worked for humanitarian causes, sponsored ATP and WTA events in India and starred in the James Bond and Star Trek film series.

“There was a feeling that came over me that I had never felt before,” Amritraj said when he heard about his election to the Hall. “This was an honor not just for me, for my family, for my parents, but for all my fellow Indians and my country who live all over the world.”

Like Amritraj, Evans was included in the ‘contributors’ category for the impact he had on the sport.

Paes (51) was an 18-time Grand Slam champion in doubles and mixed doubles. He was selected in the players’ category after developing his skills in a youth academy in Amritraj.

Paes and Amritraj made India the 28th country in the Hall of Fame.

“Playing in front of 1.4 billion people can be a pressure, but it can also be a pressure that has the wind in your sails,” Paes said.

“I would like to thank all my countrymen who supported me, who stood by me through all the ups and downs. We have been through a few, but you all were the inspiration, the support and even the strength to get me through when even I didn’t believe in it.”

Paes has won Grand Slams in both men’s and mixed doubles during his career. In men’s doubles, he won the 2012 Australian Open and in mixed doubles, he won the 2016 French Open.

He won the bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta by defeating Brazilian Fernando Meligeni 3–6, 6–2, 6–4.

His only ATP singles title came in 1998 on the Newport grass court, the same court where he was inducted.

“As my father always said to me, if you believe in yourself, work hard and not only win prize money and trophies, but also inspire the world,” Paes said.

“It is a great honour for me to play for my countrymen in seven Olympic Games, to stand where the national anthem plays in all those Davis Cups and to prove that we Asians can win Grand Slams and also be number one in our field, be it tennis or whatever.”