I am motivated by excellence: Paes

Chennai, Jan 12: The passion to achieve excellence everyday is what motivates Leander Paes the most and the ageless wonder's mantra in life is to focus on positives.

In an exclusive chat with PTI, the 41-year-old tennis legend explained how he keeps himself motivated to come on to the courts everyday and produce magnificent results.

"I am motivated by excellence. And motivated by to be being the best every day and every department of my life as a son, patriot, and athlete and as a father. What drives me is that I find every day that I can get better.Even when I am going to be 42 in six months time, I want to keep improving. I want to be the best every day and in every department," Paes said.

The winner of 12 Grand Slam titles said there will be always be difficult circumstances in life but the key was to focus on the bright side. "The obstacles are out of your control but what you can really control is the way you react to it.

The way you deal with it. What is the use of getting angry...feeling depressed, it does not solve anything. At the end of the day my racquet does the talking. There is no reason to get down.

In our country you are going to have lot of adversity. For me, the way I live my life is the values in life and ethics. The way I have been brought up with. "That is something in which I believe very strongly. I will fight for what I believe in. I always go for the truth. But at the same time you have to be tactful in dealing with adversities," he said.

When asked to cite an example how he overcame hardships in life according to his philosophy, Paes recalled the days when he encountered a life-threatening brain tumour.

"Yes, there were times when I felt the adversity is so much and why. Then you also realise that you are so blessed. You should remember that I had come from a place where I had a tumour in the head and I was given only six months to live. So, when you come back from a space like that you realise that what are the important things in life and it is very clear. And, in that where I choose to live in."

PTI