President and Prime Minister congratulate Leander Paes on Australian Open victory

Martina Hingis and Leander Paes with the Australian Open title

New Delhi, February 1 (IANS)

President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday congratulated Indian tennis icon Leander Paes for winning the Australian Open mixed doubles title in Melbourne, partnering Swiss veteran Martina Hingis.

Modi tweeted:

President Pranab Mukherjee also expressed his happiness.

“Congratulations to Leander Paes on the Mixed Doubles win at the Australian Open.”

Paes and his Swiss partner Hingis, former World No.1, beat French-Canadian team of Kristina Mladenovic and Daniel Nestor, who won last year, in straight sets to clinch the mixed doubles crown.

The 41-year-old Paes has now won 15 Grand Slam titles – eight men's doubles and seven mixed doubles. It was his third mixed doubles triumph at Melbourne Park, having also won in 2003 with Martina Navratilova and in 2010 with Cara Black.

Leander Paes continues to make us proud! I congratulate him on the Mixed Doubles win with Martina Hingis at the Australian Open. @Leander

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 1, 2015