Vijay Amritraj, Richard Evans and Corridor of Fame president Kim Clijsters applaud as former doubles world No. 1 Leander Paes of India reacts as he’s inducted into the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, U.S., on July 20, 2024.
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters
Former doubles world primary Leander Paes and tennis broadcaster, actor and participant Vijay Amritraj grew to become the primary Asian males inducted into the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame on July 20.
The primary inductees from India had been joined by British tennis journalist and creator Richard Evans in enshrinement ceremonies on the Corridor of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.
Paes recounted his youth enjoying soccer and hockey earlier than turning to tennis and ultimately following his hockey-captain father as an Olympic medalist.
“It is my biggest honor to be on this stage with not solely these legends of the sport, individuals who have impressed me each single day of my life — not since you’ve solely gained Grand Slams, not since you’ve formed our sport however each single one among these folks have formed the world we reside in,” Paes mentioned.
“I wish to thanks a lot for giving this Indian boy hope.”
Amritraj, 70, performed from 1970 till retiring in 1993, successful 15 ATP singles titles and 399 matches and being ranked as excessive as 18th on the planet and helped India to the Davis Cup finals in 1974 and 1987.
“I’m humbled and honored to affix this unimaginable and unique group which have introduced glory to our sport,” Amritraj mentioned.
After his enjoying days, Amritraj has helped humanitarian causes, backed ATP and WTA occasions in India and has acted within the James Bond and Star Trek film collection.
“A sense came visiting me that I had by no means skilled,” Amritraj mentioned of studying about his election to the Corridor. “This was an honor not only for me, for my household, for my mother and father, however for all of my fellow Indians and my nation who reside all over the world.”
Like Amritraj, Evans was inducted within the contributor class for his life impression on the game.
Paes, 51, was an 18-time Grand Slam champion in doubles and blended doubles who was chosen within the participant class after honing his commerce in an Amritraj youth academy.
– ‘Encourage the world’ –
Paes and Amritraj made India the twenty eighth nation represented within the Corridor of Fame.
“Taking part in for 1.4 billion folks may both be stress or it may very well be wind inside your wings,” Paes mentioned.
“I might prefer to thank each single one among my countrymen who supported me, who stood by by means of all of the ups and downs, and we have been by means of a couple of, however you all had been the inspiration, the assist, you had been even the power to information me by means of when even I did not imagine.”
Paes gained profession Grand Slams in each males’s and blended doubles, finishing one in males’s by successful the 2012 Australian Open and one other in blended by capturing the 2016 French Open.
He gained the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bronze medal by defeating Brazil’s Fernando Meligeni 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
His solely ATP singles title got here in 1998 on Newport grass in the identical venue the place he was inducted.
“As my father at all times mentioned to me, in case you imagine in your self, you’re employed exhausting, you may be passionate not solely to win prize cash and trophies, however you do this to encourage the world,” Paes mentioned.
“It has been my biggest honor to play for my countrymen in seven Olympics, to face the place the nationwide anthem is enjoying in all these Davis Cups, and to show that we Asians can win Grand Slams and in addition be primary in our subject, be it tennis or something.”
