Bengaluru Tennis Open 2020: Leander Paes confirms his participation

On Thursday, Indian tennis pro Leander Paes confirmed his participation in the upcoming Bengaluru Open ATP Challenger, scheduled to begin on February 10. The 46-year-old star will be seen in action for one last time on home soil at the USD 162,000 event at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association.

Into his farewell season, Paes is playing only select tournaments during the year. He is calling it "One Last Roar", so as to emphasise his intent to do well in his final year.

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"Playing at home in front of my fellow Indians has always been a source of immense pleasure and motivation for me. Bangalore has always had a crowd that understands tennis and the vibe of the stadium and the energy of the city really invigorate me," was quoted said Paes by PTI.

The veteran has 54 ATP Tour doubles titles to his name and also, of course, eight Grand Slam men's doubles titles and 10 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. He also won a historic bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atalanta. With just three short of 100 Grand Slam appearances, Paes' primary goal is to stay fit and take part in all the remaining three Slams this year before signing off.

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"To my Bengaluru friends, fans and tennis lovers, I am looking forward to entertaining all of you One Last Roar time. See you guys soon," said Paes.

Currently in action at the Maharashtra Open, Paes last played in Bengaluru in the Davis Cup 2014 when he partnered with Rohan Bopanna. He will look forward to winning a title on his Indian swansong.