Leander Paes feels he should have been replaced by younger generation by now; admits he may not play past another year

New Delhi: Veteran tennis player Leander Paes on Monday hinted at a possible retirement, saying he now relies on his experience to outsmart opponents and shouldn’t be playing past another year.

Paes was named in India’s Davis Cup squad for the Pakistan tie after several top players made themselves unavailable to travel to Islamabad.

The 46-year-old went on to better his own record by achieving his 44th Davis Cup doubles win as India routed Pakistan 4-0 last week.

“My experience carries me through now but in the longevity for what’s the best for the team I should not be playing past another year,” Paes told reporters.

The Olympic bronze medallist added that nurturing a new, young team should be the main objective for Indian tennis right now.

“Already by 46, I should have been moved out by the next generation coming up,” Paes said.

“So to really be looking at it objectively, the health of the team, to nurture a younger team is what’s important,” he said.