TOISA 2025: Tennis icon Leander Paes honoured as ‘Mentor of the Year’
At the Times of India Sports Awards 2025, Leander Paes was named Mentor of the Year for guiding young athletes. The 18-time Grand Slam champion was honoured for shaping future stars through coaching and mentorship, instilling resilience and big-match temperament, and playing a key role in India’s evolving sporting success.
LUCKNOW: In a tribute to his enduring commitment to nurturing the next generation of Indian athletes, tennis legend Leander Paes was named the ‘Mentor of the Year’ at the Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) 2025 on Saturday. The 18-time Grand Slam champion, whose career spanned three decades and seven Olympic appearances, was recognised for his transformative impact as a guide, strategist, and inspiration for India’s emerging sporting talent. Paes’s on-court exploits are the stuff of legend.
Beyond the technicalities of the game, Paes has been instrumental in instilling the elite big-match temperament in younger players, a quality that defined his own storied career. "The Times of India Sports Awards inspires youth to keep performing," Paes said on Saturday. — timesofindia (@timesofindia) Whether through formal coaching stints or his advisory roles within national sports programs, his influence was a key driver behind several breakthrough performances on the ATP and ITF circuits this past year.
The award recognises that mentorship in elite sports goes beyond the sidelines. His ability to simplify the pressures of the global stage and his focus on the human element of an athlete’s journey resonated deeply with the TOISA jury. As the Indian sporting landscape undergoes a renaissance, Paes’s transition from a legendary competitor to a visionary mentor has provided a vital bridge between past glory and future potential.
Accepting the honour in Lucknow, Paes’ recognition served as a highlight for the "More Sweat, More Glory" theme of the evening. His mentorship philosophy, centred on resilience, tactical flexibility, and unwavering national pride, continues to shape the careers of those following in his footsteps. By awarding him "Mentor of the Year", TOISA 2025 celebrates the man who refuses to hang up his racquet entirely, choosing instead to use it as a baton for the champions of tomorrow.