Is Leander Paes ready to hang up his racket?

‘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.’

India’s veteran tennis ace Leander Paes hinted at possible retirement on Monday, saying he now relies on experience to outsmart opponents and shouldn’t be playing past another year.

Paes was named in India’s Davis Cup squad for the just-concluded 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 victory 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,” India’s only Olympics medallist in tennis told reporters.

The 1996 Atlanta Olympics bronze winner 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, an 18-time Grand Slam winner, said.

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

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