One of those dreams is to set a new record of participating in his seventh straight Olympics when the Rio Games kick off in August.

For someone who has been there, done that and seen it all, Leander Paes remains immensely hungry for more. The man with 18 Grand Slam titles opened up here on Tuesday about his 25-year-old journey as a professional and the dreams that keep egging him on at the age of 43.

One of those dreams is to set a new record of participating in his seventh straight Olympics when the Rio Games kick off in August.

To be the only man to do that in tennis speaks as much about his longevity as the passion. And the man is not one to play it subtle.

“There is no shadow of doubt that Rohan [Bopanna] and me are the best pair to go to Rio and try and get that medal,” Paes said here.

That certainty stems as much from the practical details of both his and Bopanna’s rankings as his own conviction in his abilities.

Technically, Bopanna being a top 10 player can pick a partner of his choice at the Olympics. But there is little doubt that no one else would be able to live up to the pressures of Olympics as Paes.

“The selection committee is there for a reason and I am confident that the AITA and president Anil Khanna and the selection committee will send the best doubles team to Rio,” Paes added.

That decision is yet to be made, not just about the men’s event but also the mixed doubles, where Saina Mirza would have a say in selecting her partner.

But Paes is categorical that his journey would not end here, whatever be the final call. “There were a lot of boxes from my father to check, I did that; there were several from my coaches and mentors, I did them too; there were quite a few of my own as well. But the passion remains the same and that’s what I continue to play for.

“Martina Navratilova is someone for whom what I feel cannot be described in words. She’s the one who taught me about longevity,” Paes explained.

The talk invariably veered towards the possibility of him not being picked for Rio, howsoever remote and unthinkable that may be.

Paes was categorical “The curtains will come down one day but whether it’s at the Olympics or the next Grand Slam or in the next two or three years I don’t know.

“What I do know is that if there is one month, 31 days in a row that I wake up in the morning and am not passionate about or excited about my tennis, I will call it a day on the 32nd,” he signed off.