Leander Paes, a legend in Indian tennis, may be best known for his historic singles bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. But his journey on the Olympic stage began four years earlier, at the 1992 Barcelona Games, alongside the accomplished Ramesh Krishnan.
Paes, then a teenager at 18, was fresh on the professional circuit. Krishnan, already a stalwart of Indian tennis, became his partner. Their pairing at the Barcelona Olympics ignited hopes for a medal in men’s doubles.
The duo displayed impressive teamwork, battling their way through the first two rounds. The pair also defeated the top seed Australian pair in the second round. Their aggressive style and strategic play saw them overcome challenges and reach the quarterfinals. This was a significant achievement, marking a new chapter for Indian tennis at the Olympics.
However, their dream run was halted in the quarterfinals. Despite a valiant effort, they fell short against their Croatian opponents. The heartbreak was evident, but for Paes, it proved to be a valuable learning experience.
What’s interesting to note is that unlike the current format, the 1992 Olympics awarded bronze medals to both losing semifinalists in tennis. While Paes and Krishnan couldn’t secure a podium finish, their impressive run to the quarterfinals made them trailblazers for Indian tennis on the Olympic stage.
“In 1992, my mental space at that point was to represent India in the Olympics. I had to qualify for my first Olympics in Barcelona and I went off to Osaka, Japan and won the singles qualifying via two or three matches to get myself to Barcelona.
Then myself and Ramesh got to the quarter finals of the doubles event and back then, there were four medals given out. Two bronze medals for both the semi-finalists, so when we played Goran Ivanisevic and his partner in the quarter finals, we were playing for a medal.
When we lost that medal match, I realized that Ramesh was retiring from tennis and he was not going to be around at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. I also realized that there were no youngsters who were actually going to be prepared enough to win a medal in 4 years. I sat on that bench after we lost the quarter finals for about 2 hours and 45 minutes and I kind of reinvented my train of thought and I said for the next four years between 92 Barcelona and 96 Atlanta – I was going to transform my physical strength and my body.
I was going to transform my mental attitude for singles. And I was going to actually play off in places that were in high altitude which were similar to the stone mountain arena in Atlanta.”
Said Leander Paes later in an interview with India’s ace squash player Sourav Ghosal
This Barcelona campaign marked the beginning of a long and illustrious Olympic career for Leander Paes. He would go on to participate in six more Olympic Games, winning the elusive singles bronze medal in Atlanta and etching his name in India’s sporting history.
The story of Paes and Krishnan’s run at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics is a reminder of the grit and determination of Indian tennis players. It’s a testament to the power of teamwork and the stepping stones that pave the way for future success.