Mumbai Eight players, including Indian tennis legend Rohan Bopanna and international stars Roman Burruchaga and Rinke Hijikata, have been announced as the marquee players for the eighth season of the Kia Tennis Premier League. The players’ auction will be held on October 12 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Mumbai.
Eight franchises—Mumbai Royals, Rajasthan Rangers, Gurugram Grand Slammers, Kolkata Thunder Blades, Lucknow Blazers, Hyderabad Strikers, Gujarat Panthers and GS Delhi Aces—will build teams around their marquee players in the auction.
46-year-old Rohan Bopanna, who will play for Gurugram Grand Slammers, is the biggest name among the marquee players. Bopanna is a former world number one in men’s doubles and a two-time Grand Slam champion.
He won the mixed doubles title at the 2017 French Open and the men’s doubles title at the 2024 Australian Open. Bopanna, awarded the Padma Shri and Arjuna Award, is among the most successful players of Indian tennis.
Bopanna said, “I am really excited to be back in the TPL. The league is getting stronger every year and I love the team environment and the energy that this format brings.
The competition this year will be very tough, with a great mix of experienced players and young Indian talent.
Hyderabad has always had a strong association with tennis, so I am sure the atmosphere here will make it even more special. “I’m excited to compete, enjoy the experience and get back on the court again.”
Kolkata Thunder Blades will be represented by Argentina’s Roman Buruchaga. The 24-year-old Buruchaga is currently ranked 60th in the world rankings and has achieved a career-best ranking of 56th this year. He has been playing regularly on the ATP Tour and will be one to keep an eye on this season.
The marquee player of Rajasthan Rangers will be Australia’s Rinke Hijikata. Hijikata has won the 2023 Australian Open men’s doubles title.
He also reached the final of the 2025 Wimbledon men’s doubles and has achieved a career-best ranking of 23rd in men’s doubles.
Currently world number 82 in singles, Hijikata’s singles experience and Grand Slam doubles success will be crucial for Rajasthan Rangers.
Hijikata said, “I am very excited to be a part of Rajasthan Rangers and make my Kia TPL debut this season.
The 25-point format makes the league extremely exciting and I am looking forward to experiencing the energy it brings in Hyderabad.”
Mumbai Royals will be led by France’s Terrence Ataman, known as “The Magician”. The 24-year-old Ataman has achieved a career-best world ranking of 41st this year.
Lucknow Blazers have made Czech Republic’s Dalibor Svarchina their marquee player for the second consecutive season. Svarchina’s career-best singles ranking has been 86th.
The marquee player of Hyderabad Strikers will be Croatia’s Dino Prismic. Former junior world number one and 2023 Roland Garros boys’ singles champion Prismic has achieved a career-best ranking of 70th this year.
Australia’s Adam Walton will play for defending champion GS Delhi Aces. Walton has a career-best world ranking of 74 and has extensive experience on the ATP Tour and Grand Slam tournaments.
France’s Alexander Muller will play for Gujarat Panthers for the second consecutive season. The 29-year-old Muller is one of the most experienced players in the line-up and has a career-best world ranking of 38.
The eighth season of the Kia Tennis Premier League will be played from 8 to 13 December at the LB Tennis Stadium in Hyderabad. The matches will start every day at 4:30 pm and will be telecast live on JioHotstar.
The league will continue to feature a fast-paced team format of 25 points per match featuring men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles.