If they weren’t competing with complete abandon, it was certainly with a wonderful sense of freedom.
Leander Paes and Martina Hingis had played their way into All England Club history long before they took to the court for the 2015 mixed doubles final.
Paes, the men’s doubles champion with Mahesh Bhupathi in 1999, is also a three-time winner of the mixed event, claiming victory with Lisa Raymond in 1999, Martina Navratilova in 2003 and Cara Black in 2010.
His 2015 partner, Hingis, is equally (if not more) well qualified. Crowned ladies singles champion in 1997, she is also a winner of the ladies doubles event on three occasions.
The latest of those victories was only the day before the 2015 mixed doubles final, the much-loved Hingis having fought hard with Sania Mirza to defeat Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in three sets.
An added element to the mixed doubles final was that as she’d done on the previous day, Hingis had an Indian partner alongside; it was hard to know whether it was confidence or sentiment that was higher.
Either way, the No.7 seeds entered the final against the Austrian-Hungarian combination of Alexander Peya and Timea Babos in the perfect state of mind, seizing their latest milestone at the All England Club with a 6-1, 6-1 victory in just 40 minutes.
It was clear from the outset that Hingis and Paes were intent on a celebratory afternoon. Paes confidently held serve to love in the opening game and the pair held a break point on Peya’s serve in the very next game.
They didn’t convert that time around – but there were many more opportunities, Paes and Hingis breaking twice for the set to take a 6-1 lead in just 19 minutes.
With the smiles coming as readily as the powerful returns and deftly placed volleys, Paes and Hingis were clearly on the march. By claiming eight consecutive games, they’d soon extended the lead to 6-1, 4-0.
Peya at last held serve in the fifth game of the second set, but Paes and Hingis completed the comprehensive victory soon afterwards.
It added to the Grand Slam title that Paes and Hingis collected on their return at this level at the 2015 Australian Open. “I think that was the best we played pretty much since Australia in all the matches,” said Hingis. “I think it's pretty exciting to come out like this in the finals of a Grand Slam.”
Indeed, it was the cleanest of tennis, the post-match statistics showing six winners and not a single error from the eventual champions. Peya and Babos, by contrast, recorded four double faults and five unforced errors – perhaps meagre by numbers alone but damaging against such confident opponents.
Far from hindered from the hard-fought win in the women’s doubles final just 24 hours earlier, Hingis had some powerful momentum as she teamed with the devastating Paes. “Today, I think the confidence that it gave me yesterday, to come out today with Leander, I mean, he was striking the ball, winners right and left. I'm like, OK, if I can just keep up with him, join him a little bit,” she said. “It was incredible. The chemistry we had today.”
For Paes, a near flawless performance was simply a part of his job description. “To come out and for me to play like that, just be the anchor on the team, to give the team a base to work off, is my job,” he said. “So that's something I really enjoy.”
Most remarkable is that the pair’s success – both with previous partners and in their current era – spans so many years. “You've been around for two generations, three generations of players,” the 34-year-old Hingis told her 42-year-old partner. “It’s amazing.”
Paes and Hingis seem intent on influencing the game for some time yet, Hingis explaining it will continue for “as long as we're healthy and really enjoy each other, enjoy (being) out there together (and) the way we play.”
You get the sense that the 2015 mixed doubles champions will return to defend their title at the All England Club.
They can compete again with a wonderful sense of freedom – and if their latest win is any measure, perhaps even with a glorious abandon.