Should Leander Paes consider retirement?

Not bothered about opinions: Paes brushes retirement talks

The legendary Leander Paes has ruled out immediate retirement from competitive tennis.

Amidst growing rumours about the New Zealand tie being his last, veteran Paes gave ample indications that he will not announce his Davis Cup retirement, stating that ‘opinions of other people never bothered him’.

"Whether I get another chance to play for the country in Davis Cup (does not matter). Whatever people have to say it is their opinion. Whenever I am called for national duty, I will be ready," Paes told reporters when asked whether it will be his swansong while playing for the flag.

That the talks from various AITA sources has not gone down well was proved when the 43-year-old player, who has won 18 Grand Slams, said, "If I had to listen to what people say, do you think I would have won even one Grand Slam? Because no one ever believed I would win it."

"If I had listened to them, I would not have played Davis Cup. Those people believed I wouldn't be a Davis Cup player," he retorted, when questioned about his age on the sidelines of his training session.

"I have never worried about people's opinion. I am so lucky that I have gone through all this and still what I have achieved. Now I don't have to prove anything to anybody. I play because I love the game. I am here because I love the lifestyle it gives me. I am so happy that I am a tennis player."

"And to be able to say this after years of hard work, it is a real bonus. That itself makes me happy," he explained.