Leander Paes: My Parents

The stars of our sport shared stories about their heroes, both in life and on the court, and how these idols shaped who they are today. For more "My Hero" submissions, click here.

I grew up in a household where both of my parents had played for the country. Dad played in the Olympics, in 1972, and he won a bronze medal in field hockey. My mom captained Indian basketball.

Growing up as a kid, I idolized my parents. Not only did they give my two sisters and I so much love and unconditional support, I always knew that they were my examples in life, to grow up and be like them, to give unconditional support to others. In a world where things are so tough now, tougher than they were in the ’80s or ’90s when I was growing up, I think that good, quality people are at a premium. I grew up idolizing my parents, and I grew up trying to emulate them.

Even today, at 42, whether it's with my daughter or on court, I try to emulate what my parents did, which is trying to bring happiness to people in tough times. They were amazing. They taught me that as athletes, you represent your country and play for your people, and that it's the epitome of one's career.

The also taught me in the way that they conducted themselves and reached out to people. I have an orphanage with 10,000 children. My dad and mom helped me set that up with my first prize money. I didn't quite understand it when I was 9, 10, 11 years old. But as I grew older and became a teenager, I realized that the world is such a big place, yet such a small place. With tennis as a vehicle, you can bring happiness to a lot of people. Whether it's sport or in liberal arts like theater, music, or dance, train the kids so they can stand on their own two feet. Like my parents did for my two sisters and me, I try to do for kids around the world, and give them a better opportunity.