Leander Paes's highest singles ranking is only 73. The Indian has finished in the top 100 of the ATP Tour's yearend list just once.
But the former doubles world number one is a hero in India for wearing his heart on his sleeve every time he plays for his country -- be it in Davis Cup, where his 69 wins put him in the all-time top 20, or in the Olympics, where he won the bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
"Davis Cup is my stage to perform on," Paes told Reuters just a few days after leading India to a 4-1 victory in a zonal tie against New Zealand.
Paes, who turns 30 in June, has won three men's doubles and two mixed doubles grand slam titles, the last at this year's Australian Open with Martina Navratilova, but patriotism motivates him far more than personal glory.
"Ever since I was a young kid, I always knew I wanted to play for my country and emulate what my parents did. That is something that has always driven me."
Paes's father, Vece, was a national hockey player and his mother, Jennifer, played basketball for India.
"It was a very natural transition from the ambition of a young kid who saw his parents playing for his country. Whether it is the Davis Cup, Olympics or Asian Games, those are events that motivate me to play to the pinnacle of my ability."
His notable scalps in Davis Cup, where he has been a stalwart for India over the last decade, include former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia, South African Wayne Ferreira and Dutchman Paul Haarhuis.
Paes has had his moments of glory on the ATP tour as well.
He beat American Pete Sampras at his prime in New Haven in 1998 and won his maiden title just a few weeks later on his favourite surface in the grasscourt championships at Newport.
But the 1.78-metre Paes, who has a slow serve, average groundstrokes and weak backhand, could never really build on his early success, which included a junior Wimbledon title in 1990.
"Looking back, 73 in the world is a really good achievement considering that since Ramesh Krishnan and me no-one in India has been in the top 100," Paes said.
"At the same time, I had to make a decision at the end of 1998 on whether I was going to persevere with my singles and try and break into the top 50. Then I was also on the threshold of winning doubles Grand Slams with Mahesh (Bhupathi).
"I made a conscious decision to put my singles on the backburner and concentrate on doubles as I felt winning grand slams was something dreams were made of. Sometimes, I find myself pondering what could have been if I had concentrated on singles."
But Paes has no regrets about his doubles career.
He and Bhupathi started on their rollercoaster ride together when they realised they had an uncanny chemistry while representing India in a Davis Cup tie in 1996.
They won six Challenger titles that year and, after as many wins on the ATP circuit in 1997, were quickly in the top 10.
The big wins came in 1999, when they became the first pair in almost 50 years to reach the final of all four grand slams, but even while they were on a winning streak there were problems brewing between them.
Just when Indian fans were banking on Paes and Bhupathi dominating world tennis like Australia's Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde had done for most of the 1990s, they said they were breaking up.
Both Paes and Bhupathi have been hesitant to talk about the specifics of the problems, which the Indian media described as ego clashes and misunderstandings.
They came back together just before the 2000 Sydney Olympics and won the French Open the following year.
A second split last year was quieter, but had the ring of finality to it.
But Paes, who is enjoying a good start to the season with Czech doubles partner David Rikl, has not ruled out the 'Indian Express' getting back on the rails once more in the future.
"When it comes to Davis Cup and the Olympics next year, I will obviously put my best foot forward to play with Mahesh for the country. But on the tour I have already committed to Rikl for all of 2003 and I'm a man of my word. After that, let's see."
Paes is now 13th in the world list of individual doubles players, but he and Rikl rank second in the table of doubles pairs. The Indian says the reason for their success is their contrasting styles.
"David is a left-hander and I'm right-handed and I always believe that combination is the best one. Also, David's strength is his return of serve which goes hand-in-glove with my strong points, which are my volleys and how I read the game."
On the mixed doubles front his partnership with Navratilova is flowering.
"Winning the Australian Open mixed doubles with Martina and interacting with her gave me a new lease on life as far as my tennis goes," Paes said.
"She is a legend of the game and a wonderful athlete. It's been a great learning experience for me. Hopefully, it'll egg me on to win many more titles."
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