Grand Slam Champion Rohan Bopanna Set to Make Debut in Tennis Premier League Season 6
Mumbai: Former World No. 1 Rohan Bopanna is set to participate in the highly anticipated sixth season of the Tennis Premier League (TPL), which begins in December.
This will mark Bopanna’s debut in the tournament. With five successful seasons already completed, TPL Season 6 is ready to captivate audiences once again.
The 44-year-old Bopanna, who has won two Grand Slam titles (Men’s Doubles at the 2024 Australian Open and Mixed Doubles at the 2017 French Open) and represented India in three Olympic Games, including a best fourth-place finish at the 2016 Rio Olympics, is making his debut in this league. He also holds the record for being the oldest player to become World No. 1, a feat he achieved in January of this year. With over 25 career titles, Bopanna is one of only four Indian tennis players, including Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, and Sania Mirza, to have reached the top of the tennis rankings. These four are also the only Indian Grand Slam winners who support this league.
After nearly two decades on the ATP Tour, Bopanna is set to embrace a new style of tennis in TPL. Each franchise will play a total of 5 matches to qualify for the semifinals, with the league’s 25-point format appealing to tennis enthusiasts. Matches between two franchises will feature Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Mixed Doubles, and Men’s Doubles. Each match will have 100 points at stake, with each category worth 25 points. Teams will play a total of 500 points (100 points x 5 matches) in the league phase, and the top 4 teams will qualify for the semifinals.
Bopanna will be joining players like Sumit Nagal, France’s Hugo Gaston, and Armenia’s Elina Avanesyan as they compete for top honors in India’s prestigious tennis league.
Rohan Bopanna expressed his excitement, saying, “I am thrilled to be part of the Tennis Premier League, especially with its innovative 25-point format. It’s a perfect way to end the year. I believe tournaments like TPL, which actively contribute to grassroots development, will inspire more young players.”
Kunal Thakur, co-founder of the Tennis Premier League, commented, “Having Rohan Bopanna join us is fantastic. His credentials and abilities speak for themselves, and we are confident his presence will not only boost TPL’s sixth season but also inspire other players, especially with a former World No. 1 on court.”
Mrinhal Jain, co-founder of the Tennis Premier League, added, “Rohan Bopanna is one of the icons of Indian tennis, and we are very pleased to see him competing in Season 6 of TPL. This will create a buzz not only in Mumbai but across the tennis world. We look forward to some of the best tennis games with Rohan and the rest of the players.”