Congratulating tennis stars Sania Mirza and Leander Paes, who won Grand Slams in the women's doubles and mixed doubles respectively at the US Open, former India cricket captain Rahul Dravid on Monday said that both are "huge inspiration" for aspiring sportspersons in the country.
"Both Sania and Leander are huge inspiration for not only tennis aspirants, but also for sportspersons," Dravid said in Bengaluru.
"I think it is phenomenal achievement by Sania and Leander to be able to win the US Open mixed doubles and women's doubles titles," he added.
Sania and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis bagged the women's doubles title after outplaying the fourth seed team of Casey Dellacqua and Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3, 6-3 in the final.
This was Sania's second consecutive Grand Slam title of the season and fifth overall.
Veteran Paes scripted history by notching up the US Open mixed doubles title with Hingis to become the format's most successful male player in the Open era. He won his ninth Grand Slam mixed doubles titles going past former partner Mahesh Bhupathi, who held the previous record of eight titles. It was Paes’ 17th Grand Slam title overall.
The fourth-seeded Indo-Swiss pair edged past unseeded Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sam Querrey 6-4, 3-6, 10-7 in a tricky final to win their third Grand Slam together this season.
Dravid said it is incredible that at age of 42, Paes has been able to achieve the glorious feat of three Majors in a calendar year.
"It is incredible what Leander has been able to achieve in this age. It is timeless - he keeps going on and on. It is terrific to watch him," he said.
"Sania also have been good with her performances in the women's category and by the time she hangs her boots she would have left a legacy behind for youngsters to follow," Dravid said.
Dravid said it was lovely to watch Sania and Paes, playing the finals on television, as an Indian.
"I watched both the games. It was lovely to watch as an Indian," he said.
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