Leander Paes is ready to unleash his 'new version' when the sport resumes but the veteran tennis star fears that the organisers may not be able to pull off Tokyo Games and the legacy he wants to create by playing his eighth successive Olympics could remain an unrealised dream. Paes, who turned 47 on Wednesday, had announced that 2020 would be his last season and Tokyo Games was expected to be his swansong event but the COVID-19 pandemic has upset his plans.

"I'm really concerned about the Olympics because that is relevant to my history, my legacy," Paes said during a webinar hosted by Indian Chamber of Commerce—Young Leaders Forum. "I was on a 'One Last Roar' season, culminating with the Tokyo Olympics. But now that is pushed back to 2021, with the global economy, also going down, how will those corporate sponsors for the Olympics, still stand their ground to support the Olympics?" he asked.