Mixed doubles with Martina Hingis aside, Leander Paes had a forgettable 2015

When Leander Paes was ousted from the Paris Masters earlier last week, he was playing with his 106th doubles partner, a number that testifies to the longevity of his career. The first round exit in the company of Rafael Nadal served a timely reminder for Paes to assess his next steps as he prepares for his 26th season on the ATP World Tour. It is staggering to think that an athlete can survive for such a long time, and even more incredible that Leander has managed to do so on the relentless treadmill that is the tennis tour. But all is not well for a man that takes immense pride in his place in the doubles firmament. [caption id=“attachment_2339686” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Leander Paes and Martina Hingis with their Wimbledon trophies. Getty Sports[/caption] The fact that he had eight doubles partners this season alone is a matter of concern for an ageing warhorse looking to extend his career. With a 27-26 win-loss record, the season has been largely forgettable considering the high standards Leander set in the past. Of course Leander did win three mixed-doubles with Martina Hingis at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open, but as Vijay Amritraj pointed out to the Economic Times recently, mixed doubles is not really taken seriously considering that it is played just four times a year (at the grand slam events). The year started off very well – Leander was ranked 28th in the world and victory with his new partner Raven Klaasen at the Heineken Open in Auckland suggested that the pair might taste success and climb up the ladder. They also finished second at the Chennai Open and Delray Beach Open, but caught a heavy downwind after that rousing start. A string of second round exits – Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami precipitated a separation before the Tour reached Monte Carlo. Leander joined hands with Daniel Nestor during his foray on the European red dirt, but that partnership did not survive the summer, falling apart at the end of their fourth round exit at Wimbledon. The rest of the season turned existential as Leander dabbled at it with a random selection of partners including Andy Murray, Fernando Verdasco and even Grigor Dimitrov. His final match of the season was a straight set loss with Nadal to Dominic Inglot and Robert Lindstedt in Paris. “Seven thousand years is just one day at a time,” said Terry Pratchett in his Pyramids. It is a thought that will resonate with Leander. The Indian legend will need to refocus his energies and identify a suitable partner to work with in the twilight of his brilliant career, one day at a time. [caption id=“attachment_2439674” align=“alignright” width=“380”]  The higher ranked Indian pair of Bopanna and Paes were steamrolled in Davis Cup by the Czechs. AFP[/caption] 2015 is behind him now, but the next season is of great importance to Leander, with the Olympics set for a summer date in Rio. At 42, Leander has a few problems that need to be compensated for by his partner. The Indian’s ageing limbs take longer to recover between matches. So Leander and his partner need to deal with an inconsistent pattern of performances to stay on a winning path. Leander built his game around an intelligent array of service options backed by an intuitive ability to read the game from the forecourt. The service is beginning to desert him at crucial moments and he seems increasingly vulnerable on the backhand side. Meanwhile, Leander’s ranking has been sliding downwards – from 9th in May 2014 to his current level of 39th on the ATP Rankings for doubles. And he has to stem the decline very soon, if he is really eager to lengthen his career further. Not just that, the descent in form is also threatening his place in the Indian tennis order. With Yuki Bhambri, Saketh Myneni and Somdev Devvarman willing to carry the flag in the company of Rohan Bopanna, Leander’s place in the Indian team is becoming increasingly vulnerable. After a couple of relatively barren years on the men’s doubles circuit, Leander is racing against time to resurrect his flagging fortunes. He has to identify a partner who has a strong backhand and is willing to work off the baseline from the Ad-court. As he prepares for 2016, he will have the luxury of reflecting on his successful partnership with Martina Hingis – one that yielded titles in Melbourne, London and New York. And try a few experiments in the relatively stress free environments of the CTL and ITPL, due to played in November and December.