India never had it so great at the big 'W' as the country's top tennis players made themselves conspicuous on the Center Court. Leander Paes, Sania Mirza and young Sumit Nangal played their way into Wimbledon titles with their respective titles, collectively making the entire nation beam with pride.
Legendary Indian player Leander Paes claimed his 16th Grand Slam trophy after he won the mixed doubles event with Swiss Martina Hingis. The seventh seed Indo-Swiss pair beat fifth seed Austrian-Hungarian team 6-1 6-1, in a match that was over in 40 minutes.
42 year old Paes has eight men's doubles crowns in his Grand Slam collection, and this was his eighth mixed doubles title, second with Hingis; the duo won the Australian Open mixed doubles earlier this year.
“It's hard to really say which one is the best one out of all of them,” he said. “But coming out and playing like that on one of the most prestigious courts that we've grown up with, and winning a title like that, again for the second time in a Grand Slam without losing a set, that is really special.” This victory makes him the world's oldest man to win a GS title.
India's first women's Wimbledon championship winner, Sania Mirza created history on the Centre Court as she battled it out alongside former world no.1 Martina Hingis. The pair produced a captivating fightback as Hingis held her serve to close a 5-7 7-6(4) 7-5 win over Russians Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina. For Mirza, it was a maiden women's doubles title at a Grand Slam although she has won three mixed doubles titles at the majors.
The Indian tennis star was on cloud nine as she asserted yet another feather in her cap. In 2009, Sania became India's first woman to win a Grand Slam, lifting the Australian Open with Bhupathi. In 2011, she came close to winning a women's double title in 2011 when she partnered Elena Vesnina to the French Open final, in 2012 the Sania-Mahesh Bhupathi pairing won the French Open and then in 2014 she added the US Open crown with Bruno Soares. Now, a Wimbledon championship. “It means everything to be here today,” she said.
“Every kid that picks up a tennis racquet this is about winning Wimbledon or playing at Wimbledon one day. I hope it inspires a lot of girls and makes them believe they can be Grand Slam champions too,” Mirza said.
President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Mirza on her victory. The President tweeted, “Hearty congratulations @MirzaSania @mhingis on winning women's doubles in Wimbledon, @MirzaSania's achievement will inspire youth of India.”
“Well played Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza. You played wonderful tennis and registered a fantastic win at Wimbledon. We are proud and very happy,” the Prime Minister said in a statement.
Sumit Nangal is the sixth Indian to win a Grand Slam junior title after winning the boys doubles trophy with partner Nam Hoang Ly. The 17 year old and his eighth seed Vietnamese partner overpowered fourth seeds Reilly Opelka and Akira Santillan 7-6(4) 6-4 in the clash that lasted 63 minutes. The New Delhi born, right handed player had also entered the boys' singles competition. However, he was ousted from the category in only the opener when he lost to Argentinean Juan Pablo Ficovich in three sets.
