Newly crowned French Open men’s doubles champion Leander Paes said an inspiring moment’s eye contact with his legendary former mixed doubles partner Martina Navratilova lifted his spirits.

“Whenever I look at a person like Navratilova, she gives me a lot of inspiration. It was strange that just at the end of the second set when we were getting a bit nervous and edgy, she came out there and was just making eye contact. Lukas served three doubles faults early in the third set. I told him at one point, Martina is out there. Have a look at her. She’s inspiring us.”

Paes described Navratilova, a 20-time Wimbledon champion with whom he won the 2003 Wimbledon and Australian Open mixed doubles titles, as his soulmate and said the American has been by his side through some of the most trying times of his life. “Martina has been a soulmate for many years. We’ve been through a lot in life, especially me in the last eight years,” Paes said.

“When I was diagnosed with cancer and I couldn’t play, she basically stayed away from the game and didn’t play mixed doubles until I came back,” he added.