Leander Paes to decide on his future after full tennis calendar is out

Legendary Indian tennis player Leander Paes has said he will wait for the game to start again fully after the COVID-19 pandemic before deciding on his peerless career.

The legend has been in the game for three decades. The 47-year-old had announced that 2020 would be his ‘One Last Roar’ season with his target on the Tokyo Olympic Games. The world event was expected to be his swansong event, but it was stopped from holding by the pandemic.

While noting that the most important thing right now is health and safety, Paes said it is not the right time to plan a full tennis calendar.

The legend who said it is the time for athletes to look after their families and communities in an interview with IANS noted that with travel restrictions, it is only safe to play when there is an available vaccine for the dreaded virus.

The pandemic forced the cancellation of the Wimbledon Open, and the organizers had to share the prize money to players according to their ranking.

Speaking ahead of the US Open, which is happening in August-September, Paes said there might be a surge of COVID-19 cases in America.

Paes, who is aiming to participate in his eighth Olympics, noted that tennis is a global sport that takes athletes worldwide week after week from one airport, hotels, stadiums, and public places to the other. It becomes difficult when there are travel restrictions.

He said his team is enjoying a well-deserved break after 30 years of hard. Therefore, they will later work and evaluate the situation once the tennis tour can realistically start in full flow again.

The 18 Grand Slams winner stated that the vastness of this pandemic is astonishing, with most patients being asymptomatic.

He, therefore, preached social distancing, wearing a mask as the best way that can help not spread the virus.

He also urges athletes to look after their families, adding that the lockdown had forced everyone to adapt to a new normal.

Written by: Oladipupo Mojeed