Director of any film is very important, and an actor has to leave himself in his hands to mould.

I know, in India, specially in Bollywood and the sports fraternity, there is a lot of negative media attention on prominent public figures.

My audiences have given me lots of love as a tennis player. I hope they appreciate my passion for acting.

I love taking challenges, as my name Leander means ‘lion’s heart.’

Age is just a number. When I started, I never worried about how long I was going to play. I had very specific goals, and that’s what I really chased.

I’ve always had this hyper kinetic energy, so I don’t really need much sleep at night.

When the headache persisted, I checked myself into an emergency room. When the doctor used the term ‘brain tumour’, I feared the worst. My whole world shrank around me.

If I have a reason to do something, and I have enough passion, I generally succeed.

I believe India has multi-talented people, so I have also embarked on my journey as an actor. I don’t need to be a celebrity, since tennis has already given fame to me.

I wanted to emulate my parents – Mum captained India in basketball, and Dad won a bronze in hockey in 1972 Olympics. My focus has always been to achieve excellence whether in the field of...