Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj were formally inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame as its 265th and 267th members, respectively. They were joined by Richard Evans, a veteran tennis journalist. Tennis legends Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andre Agassi, Stan Smith, and Rosie Casals all attended the event.
Martina Navratilova, who won two Majors alongside Paes, introduced him, praising his abilities and sportsmanship. She commented, “He has that off-speed serve, massive forehand, sliced backhand, and it lands just where you don’t want it to. When he comes to the net, he uses a huge forehand volley and has leopard-like reflexes. He chases down every ball and, if he can’t, dives for it. And if everything else fails, he smiles, making everyone’s heart melt.”
Paes, dressed in a cream sherwani, expressed thanks, stating, “It is an honour to be on this stage with these people who have inspired me every day of my life.”
Vijay Amritraj, introduced by his son Prakash, expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the accolade, saying, “This is not just an honour for me, my parents, my family, but for my fellow Indians, my country.” The festival, which included Indian traditional components and Bhangra routines, emphasised national pride.
