Eight of top ten players to be part of International Tennis Premier League

By Boria Majumdar

The International Tennis Premier League has arrived. The organisers have released the list of players who will be part of the draft on 2nd March, Sunday. There is already interest in the world of tennis about whether the concept, the brainchild of Mahesh Bhupathi, could become a permanent fixture of the calendar.

The organisers have a number of things going for them–top players, including Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, along with legends such as Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Carlos Moya are part of the draft. The women’s line up looks solid as well, with Serena Williams, Ana Ivanovic, Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki confirming their participation. Stars Sania Mirza, Somdev Devvarman and Rohan Bopanna are headlining Indian interest in the tournament.

The league has four top international destinations in Asia as part of its roster, which have been confirmed. Singapore, Bangkok, Dubai and Mumbai–each of these four cities are favoured international destinations and do have a huge population of upwardly mobile youth. The chances are that Kuala Lumpur will also join in if stadiums are available in December.


The event has been tailored for television, and as Bhupathi clarified, “was never meant to replace one of the existing competitions in the circuit. Rather, it will be played in the off season in December. Players are looking at it as an opportunity to prepare for the first Grand Slam of 2015. Since it’s the off season, most or all players are likely to be present for the duration of the event.

“All of them are excited by the idea as suggested by the players who have made themselves available,” he said after releasing the list of participants in Dubai Friday evening. “It has been two years of work. Finally we are there.

Everyone’s excited about the auction on Sunday. As an Indian, it will be terrific to see the best in the world play on Indian soil.” There is little doubt the league will give ‘Brand Tennis’ a boost in India.

The prospect of the world’s top players converging in Mumbai in December is a serious lure and to see Nadal, DJokovic or Murray cheering for ‘teammates’ Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna should be exciting.

The only Indian franchise in the fray is Mumbai and Bhupathi is excited at the prospect of seeing Nadal or Murray represent an Indian city. Sources have confirmed that Mumbai will be going for Nadal or Murray in the auction, besides Indian doubles specialists Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna.

Pete Sampras, it is also rumoured, is keen to play for Mumbai. The possibility of continuing the legendary rivalry between Sampras and Agassi, followed by a matchup between Nadal and Murray is sure to attract sponsors and broadcasters to the multi-million dollar event.

The league, valued at over Rs 250 crores, is expected to add to the appeal of tennis in Asia and the Middle East. Against the backdrop of Asians doing better in Grand Slams, the talent pool for tennis in the continent is expected to expand. While there has been some scepticism in the Western media about the league’s potential, the fact that top players have given their endorsement is very encouraging.

Mahesh has assembled a team of top professionals to work on the details. With experts, including former players Boris Becker, Morgan Menaham and Justin Gimelstob, working behind the scenes, the core of the concept appears solid. It is about creating a viable product that attracts the young and makes tennis a far more popular sport.

Will India be excited about watching the world’s best? Will we go for the possibility of cheering Nadal or Djokovic when playing for Mumbai? If the everexpanding constituency of global sporting events in India is anything to go by, the first ever tennis league should whet tennis appetites.