World Tennis dedicates Team Cups to Leander Paes and Marie Pinterova

World Tennis has announced that the men’s and women’s 30 + team events at the annual Masters World Team Championships will be renamed in honour of two legends of the sport: Leander Paes and Marie Pinterova.

Member Associations were invited to nominate candidates for the Men’s and Women’s 30+ Team Cups. Following consideration by the World Tennis Masters Committee, the proposed names were unanimously approved before being formally endorsed by Member Associations at the 2026 World Tennis AGM in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

With immediate effect, the team competitions will be known as the Leander Paes Cup for the 30+ Men’s event and the Marie Pinterova Cup for the 30+ Women’s event, next contested in Tokyo, Japan, from 15-20 November 2026. Introduced in 2023, the 30+ Team Cups are the latest additions to the expanding World Tennis Masters Tour, with all other Team Cups already carrying the names of tennis legends.

The Leander Paes Cup and Marie Pinterova Cup recognise two exceptional careers and their lasting contributions to tennis, marking a new chapter for the competitions.

The Individual event will follow from 21-28 November.

Leander Paes Cup

Nominated by the All India Tennis Association (AITA), Leander Paes is one of the most accomplished doubles players in tennis history.

In 2024, Paes became the first Asian man to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. He won eight men’s doubles and 10 mixed doubles Grand Slam titles, completing the career Grand Slam in both disciplines, and reached 34 Grand Slam finals across men’s and mixed doubles. Alongside Mahesh Bhupathi, he was also part of the first team in the Open Era to reach all four men’s doubles Grand Slam finals in the same calendar year, in 1999.

Paes also enjoyed an outstanding record representing India. He won a bronze medal in the men’s singles at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games and competed at seven consecutive Olympic Games from 1992 to 2016. In Davis Cup, he won 45 of his 58 doubles matches.

His celebrated doubles legacy also reflects the importance of the discipline across the World Tennis Masters Tour, which provides men’s, women’s and mixed doubles competition, doubles-only tournaments and dedicated doubles rankings.

The Leander Paes Cup marks a first for the World Tennis Masters Tour, becoming the first Team Cup to honour a player or nation from Asia. This recognition comes as the Tour continues to grow across Asia, expanding from 30 tournaments in 2019 to 130 in 2025, with more than 8,500 active players from 36 Asian nations.

Mr. Sunder Iyer, Hon. Secretary General of the AITA, said: "Having an international competition named after Leander celebrates India's contribution to world tennis and provides players with an inspiring example of excellence, perseverance and national pride. We would like to thank World Tennis for honouring a champion whose achievements have put Indian tennis on the global map."

Marie Pinterova Cup

Marie Pinterova, nominated by the Hungarian Tennis Federation, made an extraordinary contribution to Masters tennis across a playing career spanning more than six decades.

During her professional career, Pinterova reached the quarterfinals of Roland Garros, recorded a victory over Billie Jean King and achieved a career-high ranking of No. 13.

She later achieved remarkable success in Masters tennis, winning 11 World Individual Singles titles, five World Individual Doubles titles and one World Team Cup title.

Pinterova retired from competitive tennis in 2021 after 62 years on court. She sadly passed away in 2023 at the age of 77.

Naming the Women’s 30+ Team Cup in her honour is a fitting tribute to her contribution to the sport and ensures that her legacy will continue to inspire players in Hungary and around the world.

Bernadett Beothy, of the Hungarian Tennis Federation, said: "We are absolutely delighted and very proud that, from now on, the 30+ age group at the Masters World Championships will carry the name of Marie Pinterova."

András Pintér, Marie’s husband, added: "She was a great player beating such
big names as Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova, so it’s nice that the Masters community will know her name.”

Matt Byford, Executive Director, World Tennis Masters Tour, said: “Leander Paes and Marie Pinterova have both made a lasting mark on tennis, achieving success at the highest level while representing their respective nations. Naming these Cups in their honour recognises their contributions and reflects the global reach of our sport, and of the World Tennis Masters Tour. As the Tour continues to expand around the world, their legacies serve as an inspiration to players and fans across generations and nations.”