Throughout the years, the popularity of tennis in India has increased. Indian tennis players such as Leander Paes, Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna, and Mahesh Bhupathi have become global superstars. Even in a cricket-crazy nation like India, our tennis quartet is as famous as the cricketing legends. Legendary Leander Paes, who won 18 Grand Slam titles, became the first Indian to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame along with Vijay Amritraj. Indian Tennis history is full of exceptional talents who have made an incredible mark on the sport. To be considered the best tennis player, one must have achieved remarkable success to be at the top of Tennis grand slam winners. In this blog, we take a look at the best tennis player in India.

Leander Paes - The Best Tennis Player In India

1. Leander Paes takes India's 1.4 billion people to the Hall of Fame

India's best tennis player, Leander Paes' illustrious career is marked by numerous historical achievements, and his inclusion in the player category of the International Tennis Hall of Fame class of 2024 may very well be one of his greatest honours. Leander Paes has won 18 Majors, eight in doubles and 10 in mixed doubles. His stock was built on the singles bronze at Atlanta 1996, India's first individual Olympic medal since wrestler Khashaba Jadhav's bronze at the 1952 Helsinki Games. Paes was also successful in singles in the first decade of his career. He secured his only ATP Tour title on grass in 1998 at Newport, which incidentally hosts the Hall of Fame festivities.

Leander Paes also paid tribute to one of the best Tennis grand slam winners and 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal, who lost in the first round at Roland-Garros on Monday in what increasingly seems like his final bow in Paris. The Olympic tennis returns to clay for the first time since 1992. However, with Rafael Nadal announcing that 2024 could be his final season, it remains to be seen whether he will be fit for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games to claim his first Olympic gold in singles since Beijing 2008. However, the best-of-three-set Olympic format could benefit Nadal if he faces physical challenges.

2. Leander Paes has won the highest Grand Slam titles - 18 Grand Slam titles

Leander Paes, a junior US Open and Wimbledon champion, turned professional in 1991. In 1996, he made history by winning the singles bronze medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games, becoming the first Indian tennis player to achieve such a feat since wrestler KD Jadhav won bronze in 1952. He secured the medal by defeating Brazilian player Fernando Meligeni. Leander Paes achieved the defining moment of his illustrious career in singles and earned his place in the Tennis Hall of Fame as a doubles player. Paes is considered one of the best Indian tennis players and has won the highest grand slam titles by an Indian.

Passionate Tennis players can never forget the Indian Wells Masters qualifying tournament, where Paes took on a young Roger Federer, who went on to be on the list of highest grand slam titles. Leander Paes has won eight men's doubles Grand Slam titles: Wimbledon (1999), French Open (1999, 2001, and 2009), Australian Open (2012), and US Open (2006, 2009, and 2013). In mixed doubles, Leander Paes has won an impressive medal collection. He has won the Wimbledon title four times, the Australian Open three times, the US Open twice, and the French Open once. Regarding Player ranking, Paes was ranked as the No. 1 doubles tennis player in the world in 1999 and holds the record for the most doubles wins at the Davis Cup.

3. The duo of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi: The Indian Express' Golden Era

Famously celebrated by Indian tennis fans as 'Lee-Hesh', the duo of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi won three Grand Slam titles together, rose to world No. 1, and hold the Davis Cup record for most consecutive wins. Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi first teamed up in 1994, winning several ATP Challenger level titles in 1995 and 1996. They also played together in the Davis Cup. In 1997, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi regularly teamed up in men's doubles competitions worldwide. Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi won their first ATP Tour title together at the Chennai Open in April 1997. Talking about the Tennis news, this victory was significant as it occurred on home soil.

The pair, affectionately known as Lee-Hesh continued their success by adding five more ATP Tour titles across both clay and hard courts that year, solidifying their partnership. Leander Paes was skilled at the net, while Mahesh Bhupathi was a strong baseline player, which meant they complemented each other perfectly. The duo's famous chest-bump celebration would soon become iconic. The pair, soon nicknamed the Indian Express, would prove to be one of the best doubles pairs in the years to come. They won three Grand Slam titles and 25 ATP Tour titles, rose to world No. 1, and still hold the Davis Cup record for the longest streak of doubles victories.

Leander Paes - Highest Grand Slam titles