Tennis veteran Leander Paes to participate in Bangalore Open ATP Challenger as part of farewell season

Indian tennis legend Leander Paes on Thursday confirmed his participation in the Bangalore Open ATP Challenger, beginning on 10 February. [caption id=“attachment_6740721” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Leander Paes. Image courtesy: Twitter @Leander[/caption] Paes, who is into his farewell season, will be seen in action for one last time on home soil at the $162,000 event at the KSLTA. Paes is playing select tournaments during the year as a part of a farewell tour he is calling “One Last Roar”. “Playing at home in front of my fellow Indians has always been a source of immense pleasure and motivation for me. Bangalore has always had a crowd that understands tennis and the vibe of the stadium and the energy of the city really invigorate me,” said Paes, who is currently playing at the TATA Maharashtra ATP Tour event in Pune. The 46-year-old veteran has 54 ATP Tour doubles titles besides eight Grand Slam men’s doubles crowns and 10 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. Paes also won a historic bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. With just three short of 100 Grand Slam appearances, Paes is now aiming to play all the Slams this year before signing off. “To my Bangalore friends, fans and tennis lovers, I am looking forward to entertaining all of you One Last Roar time. See you guys soon,” said Paes, who last played in Bengaluru in the Davis Cup 2014 when he partnered with Rohan Bopanna.