It can be said with utmost certainty that they have missed out on seeing a person who in the true word is an epitome of patriotism.
And above all, it can be said with paramount inevitability that they have missed out on witnessing the never-say-die attitude of a true fighter who is always willing to give his 100% even when his body does not allow him to. Behold Leander Paes.
It's not often that the sporting fraternity gets to comprehend such a player. The world has indeed seen its share of tennis legends, but when a phenomenon called Leander Paes walks out, every Indian in the world can stand tall with their heads held up high to cheer a player who has sacrificed his entire life just for the sake of the game.
He has indeed given his all and there isn't an iota of doubt in the minds of fans about Leander's willpower, dedication and commitment towards his country.
He's had his share of ups and downs though. Let's face it; things don't come easy for a sportsperson. Just because someone wants something it does not mean that it will be handed to them on a platter.
One needs to work hard for it and that's exactly what Leander has been doing. Ever since Leander stepped on to the tennis circuit, he's been a name to look out for.
Paes substantiated his claim to be looked upon as a dominant force in the tennis community when he became the World No. 1 in junior rankings at the age of 18 by winning the Junior US Open and Wimbledon titles.
This was followed by probably his greatest achievement ever when he clinched the bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, losing to eventual gold medallist Andre Agassi in the semis. Paes has hardly looked back since then and for the sake of tennis in India, let's hope he doesn't ever.
When Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek won the US Open men's doubles title on Sunday, Paes became only the second tennis player in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam at the age of 40.
Incidentally the first person to have achieved that feat was Martina Navratilova, who did that partnering Paes in 2003 at the Australian Open.
Even though it was Navratilova's moment, the fact that Leander was involved in the proceedings was again a truly proud moment for every Indian on this planet.
Leander's US Open triumph was his third at the Flushing Meadows. To many, it was just another feather in his cap. To his fans, it was his eighth doubles and fourteenth overall major title.
But to Leander himself, it was an achievement like no other. Not because the win would set him amongst tennis's all-time greats and the finest that India has ever produced, but it was simply the fact that he had emulated Navratilova from whom he draws inspiration.
He had proved to the world that "age" is indeed just an impediment that needs to be tackled in the mind. And most importantly, he had proved to his critics that his policy of portraying undying allegiance towards tennis is what matters the most to him.
It is Leander's ruthless desire to win that has helped him overcome things in life that many people shy away from. In 2003 when he was suspected to have a brain tumor, which later turned out to be Neurocysticercosis (parasitic disease of the nervous system), it was this same ruthless desire to win that helped him bounce back.
And in 2012 when the whole AITA-Olympics controversy broke out, he never compromised with this principle of always keeping his country before his personal needs or betterment.
Leander Paes is probably India's greatest tennis player till date. There have been arguments in the past and there will definitely be heated debates in the future.
But what all Indians can agree in unison is that even though a day will come when he will walk off into the sunset to end his glorious career, his legacy will be something that will live on and be cherished by fans not just in India but across the globe.
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