Smt. Jennifer Paes, a pioneer of Indian women’s sports and the mother of tennis legend Leander Paes, passed away on Sunday, May 17, 2026. She was 72 years old and had been fighting a long battle with cancer.
Ms. Paes leaves behind an extraordinary personal and sporting legacy. A powerhouse athlete, she represented India at the highest level, serving as an Olympian and captaining the Indian national basketball team. Beyond her sporting achievements, she belonged to an illustrious lineage as the great-great-granddaughter of the iconic 19th-century Bengali poet and dramatist, Michael Madhusudan Dutt.
This loss marks an incredibly profound personal tragedy for Leander Paes and his family. The tennis icon is mourning his mother just nine months after the passing of his father, the celebrated Olympic hockey bronze medalist Dr. Vece Paes, who died in August 2025.
The sporting fraternity has come together to express deep condolences to Leander Paes and his loved ones during this immensely challenging time.