Leander Paes is 41-years-old and won his 15th Grand Slam in the Australian Open mixed doubles event with Martina Hingis. And more recently the tennis legend partnered with South African, Raven Klaasen, and won the Heineken Open men’s doubles after finishing runners-up at the Chennai Open. Also Read - Ganesh Chaturthi 2020: 4 reasons an eco-friendly Ganesha is good for you

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But at an age when most sports personalities decide to stop playing and hang up their boots, Leander Paes says that he not ready to give up just yet. Saying that he will play as long as he has fun, Leander says that his outlook towards the game, how it should be played to win and his training regimen have all changed, making him as tough as he is today. Also Read - Kiren Rijiju and Shilpa Shetty share skipping rope videos: Here’s why you should practise this fun workout during quarantine

How does he stay so fit?

When asked about what he does to stay so fit, the tennis star said, in a statement to Ahemdabad Mirror, ‘My training starts six weeks before when I want to peak. Cardio, gym work to strengthen the upper body, the shoulders, forearm, wrists – so that I can hit three aces in a game, something I have not done in my whole career. Bike work for endurance and the legs. More specific the training, more potent the result. I wish I had this knowledge when I was 20,” he added. “For me consistency of excellence is all about the lifestyle too. If you have a bad lifestyle it is not going to work. I don’t have to reinvent the wheel I’m just doing the same things over and over again. Working on specific muscles for specific reasons. It seems like magic when it comes through.’ But apart from working out to strengthen specific muscles, Leander Paes says that he stays away from alcohol and has never consumed the drink in his life. Sounds inspiring doesn’t it.

What has he changes about his game?

To add to his amazing tenacity, Leander pace has changed the way he plays the game. Unlike others in the tennis fraternity, Paes plays only 16 tournaments in a year and aims for the big tournaments. he said, ‘I only play 16 tournaments a year now. The approach is different. I have cut back on events. My focus is on the big tournaments, the Grand Slams and the Olympics next year.’

What was his inspiration?

Paes also says that his doubles partner Martina Navratilova was a great inspiration for him. He adds that the lady was battling breast cancer a few years back, came back to play, stronger than ever and her tenacity and dedication to the game was what helped him push himself on the court.

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