“This is my advice. If you want to succeed at doubles, find a partner from the Czech Republic.” Leander Paes’ quip during the presentation ceremony of the US Open was more than just flattery aimed at his partner Radek Stepanek with whom the Indian veteran won his 14th career slam on Sunday.
In his decorated career spanning more than two decades, Paes has forged many a partnership, 94 to be precise, and players from the Czech Republic were constant in his fruitful alliances. The only exception was the productive stint Paes enjoyed with his estranged friend, Mahesh Bhupathi. Out of his eight Grand Slam doubles titles, three came with Bhupathi (Wimbledon and French Open in 1999 and French Open in 2001) while the remaining five had a Czech sharing the court with Paes.
Paes first tasted success at the Flushing Meadows in 2006 in collaboration with Martin Damm. In his 20-year pro career, the US Open was the only slam success for Damm who retired in 2011. Paes won two majors with Lukas Dlouhy (French Open and US Open in 2009) before he joined hands with Stepanek, a former top-10 singles player, to complete a career slam at the 2012 Australian Open.
With David Rikl — another player from the central European country — Paes finished runners-up at the 2004 US Open. The Indian’s chemistry isn’t confined to Czech men alone. Paes won two slams (Australian Open and Wimbledon) with the legendary American of Czech origin Martina Navratilova in 2003 and the two continue to be good friends.
What makes Paes and Czechs a formidable combination? “They all had great returns,” Paes had said in an interview earlier. “Because their returns are so good, we put a lot of pressure on our opponents serves. When you put pressure on your opponents’ serve, that is when cracks start opening up. With each and every one of my partners, we’ve been an amazing team,” the 40-year-old Paes had said.
Apart from the complementing style of play, Paes found inspiring partners in Czechs. Though Dlouhy was 10 years younger to him, they enjoyed a great understanding on and off the court. In 35-year-old Stepanek, by his own words, Paes has a “humble partner”.
If there is one major trophy that’s missing from the cabinet of Paes, it’s the yearend championship. By winning the US Open, the pair has qualified for the yearend event and Stepanek has made his intentions clear by saying he would like to contribute to his partner’s quest. Paes, the only tennis player to compete in six consecutive Olympic Games, is showing no signs of slowing down. Playing at the 2016 Rio Olympics is his stated ambition.