The sixth edition of the Tennis Premier League starts in December. Notably, former World No.1 Rohan Bopanna will be making his debut in the tournament.
The upcoming edition of the competition, which started in 2018, will be played with eight teams. Hyderabad Strikers are currently the most successful outfit with two titles to their name.
Rohan Bopanna, who has won two Grand Slams in his career - the men's doubles at the Australian Open 2024 and mixed doubles at the French Open in 2017 - will make his maiden appearance in the Tennis Premier League. He had previously announced retirement from the national team after the Paris Olympics 2024 campaign.
The three-time Olympian said in a Tennis Premier League release (via news18):
“I'm thrilled to become a part of the Tennis Premier League, especially with its innovative 25-point format. It’s a perfect way to wrap up the year. I believe that tournaments like the TPL, which are actively contributing to grassroots development, will inspire more young players.”
Rohan Bopanna's career in brief
Bopanna was the oldest member of the Indian contingent at the Paris Olympics at 44 years of age. The Paris Olympics saw Bopanna team up with N Sriram Balaji but the duo went down in the first round itself.
The 44-year-old participated in three Olympic Games for India, with his best performance coming at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he finished fourth in the mixed doubles event alongside Sania Mirza.
Notably, he became the oldest player to become a World No.1 earlier this year as he reached the top of the ATP rankings in men's doubles. He also won the gold medal in mixed doubles at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023.
Rohan Bopanna has 28 titles to his name and is among the legends of the sport in India alongside Leander Paes, Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi.