Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi: We let cracks seep in

Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi talk about their good and bad times ahead of the October 1 launch of docu-drama Break Point

Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have given fans an equal share of joy and despair during and after their mercurial journey together on and off the tennis courts. But to know that they too have silently cried over their follies is one of the revelations in Break Point, a series that premieres on Zee 5 from October 1.

The series covers the journey of India’s most successful tennis pair from the late 1990s to the 2006 Doha Asian Games and of course, their controversial split in between. There have been numerous controversies thereafter too, but that’s probably for another Season, they say. 

Their contrasting personalities—Paes, 48, being flamboyant and Bhupathi, 47, being an introvert—is said to be one of the reasons for their success and failures. And the fact that they still don’t share most points of view is evident from this detailed interaction with mid-day on Thursday.

Bhupathi (left) and Paes celebrate winning the Wimbledon doubles final in 1999. Pic/Getty Images

Edited excerpts from the interview

On how it all began
Paes: I saw Mahesh for the first time in Sri Lanka during the Asian Championships in the early 1990s. Seeing his backhand technique and tall frame, I instantly felt he’s the guy I could win Wimbledon with. That was my dream.
Bhupathi: The 1997 Chennai Open [Gold Flake Open] win was our first Tour event, so it was special. We broke through and believed we could win at the ATP stage. It was a stepping stone for bigger and better things to come in the near future.

On their challenges abroad as a young Indian team
Paes: In 1998, during one of our matches in Stuttgart, Germany, Boris Becker was unhappy that we were beating him in his own backyard. So, in the third set, he began giving it to us verbally. We had a huge on-court fight and after we won the match, we were immediately ushered into our cars and taken back to the hotel. That’s how challenging it was for us then. 
Bhupathi: I don’t think it was all that bad. In fact, we were being embraced because we were not just two Indians or brown boys in a white sport, we were playing a different brand of doubles. We were chest-bumping and high-fiving. There was a lot of energy and the crowds were loving us. Indians were coming out of the woodwork in every city we played in.

On their contrasting personalities
Paes: Mahesh is not the most elaborate communicator, but we are both equally emotional and passionate. So yes, there have been tears along with the cheers. We’ve had our flaws, but regardless of that, the fact is that we are India’s first Grand Slam-winning team and World No. 1 team with a record for most Davis Cup wins. But in the last 18 months, while working on this series, we’ve got a sense of healing. We tapped into conversations we haven’t done in the last 20 years. I guess, we’ve matured and both realise our flaws. It’s been an entwined brotherhood. Today, if he needs something, I’m always there for him and vice versa. 
Bhupathi: Off the court, he is an extrovert and I’m an introvert. But our on-court energy, passion, hard work and sacrifice ensured we gelled well to become the No. 1 team in the world. Our differences complemented each other and that’s why we should have also worked more towards celebrating our differences and not let those cracks seep in.

On their failure to handle success on the world stage
Paes: That’s definitely one of the reasons we split. We are not shy of our flaws. We could have handled things better, but the minute you let other people or factors come in, then the cracks start showing. To have to keep that magic between us going, we should have had more of that alone time together because that’s what made us successful in the first place.
Bhupathi: One year, we were No. 70 in the world and next year you’re in the top 10 and then all of a sudden, you’re No. 1. In 1999, we had a dream year, making it to all the Grand Slam finals and winning two. We were walking on a cloud. But while we dreamt about playing and winning at the highest level, we didn’t have any advice to deal with what comes after. We needed a better understanding on how to deal with the pressures and distractions and everything that revolves around success. Today, you have agents, dieticians, psychologists etc. When we were playing, we had a coach and a trainer, who were as clueless as us and would ask, “Abhi kya karna hai,” after a big win. 

On the Indian tennis system
Paes: It should not only be about tennis. In Tokyo, we won a record number of medals with our female athletes doing exceptionally well. Our para athletes also did well. Someone like Kiren Rijiju [former sports minister] helped invest in infrastructure and this is the result of that. We have to use sport as a vehicle to get to the masses. That’s my next journey, to take sporting education to India’s tier 2 and tier 3 cities.  
Bhupathi: Firstly, the Indian system did not produce Leander or Mahesh or Sania [Mirza], Rohan [Bopanna], Somdev [Devvarman], Vijay [Amritraj] and Ramesh [Krishnan]. They all did it in their personal capacity. We have no system. I had waved the white flag some time ago, but nobody allows you to do anything in this country. People actually put spokes in the wheels. So, if they don’t need advice from people like us, who have achieved at the highest level, we are bound to struggle. It’ll take another 20 years for India to win a tennis medal at the Olympics.

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