TPL 2023: Asian Games stars Rutuja Bhosale, Sumit Nagal to compete in season 5 starting on December 12

After the immense success and closely fought battles in the first four seasons of the Tennis Premier League (TPL), India’s premier tennis tournament is set for a fifth season, which is slated to begin on Tuesday (Dec 12), with a grand finale taking place five days later. Top Indian tennis talents such as Sumit Nagal, will play for the Gujarat Panthers after the current AITA Number 1 was made the most expensive player at the auction by the franchise.

Alongside Nagal, Hangzhou Asian Games silver medal-winning duo Ramkumar Ramanathan and Saketh Myneni will also feature in season 5 of TPL, as they will play for Bengaluru SG Mavericks and Hyderabad Strikers respectively. While Asian Games 2023 Gold Medallist, Rutuja Bhosale will don the colours of Pune Jaguars in season 5 of the TPL.

Pune Jaguars, Mumbai Leon Army, Delhi Binny's Brigade, Gujarat Panthers, Punjab Tigers, Bengal Wizards, Hyderabad Strikers and Bengaluru Spartans are the teams in the fray, with prominent personalities such as Taapsee Pannu, Sonu Sood, Sonali Bendre, Rakul Preet Singh, Leander Paes and Sania Mirza associated with them.

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Along with them, foreign tennis athletes like former World No. 10 Ernests Gulbis and former World No. 26 Lukas Rosol, will feature for Mumbai Leon Army and Pune Jaguars respectively in the upcoming season. Additionally, current World No. 125 Maria Timofeeva was snapped up by Leander Paes-backed Bengal Wizards at the auction and the highest-ranked Austrian Tennis player in the world Dennis Novak will lead the charge for Delhi Binny’s Brigade in season 5 of the league.

“The Tennis Premier League has engaged audiences over the last four seasons with its fast-paced format. For tennis fans, the addition of India No. 1 Sumit Nagal, and 2023 Asian Games medallists Ramkumar Ramanathan, Saketh Myneni, and Rutuja Bhosale will be another reason to attract audiences for the fifth season of the league,” Rajesh Kaul said.

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“The fifth season of the TPL is being graced by some very entertaining tennis stars, who have walked the talk consistently at the highest level. The likes of Sumit Nagal, Ernests Gulbis, Ramkumar Ramanathan, and Karman Kaur Thandi will be a big attraction for the fans, and we are confident that the trend of high-octane clashes will not be disturbed,” said Kunal Thakkur, Co-Founder, TPL.

“Over the past few years, the TPL with its healthy mix of high-quality sport and entertainment, has become one of the most awaited tournaments in India. And the fact that the tournament will be broadcast on Sony Sports Network, the home of the Australian Open and US Open, makes it even more special for us. May the best team win,” said Mrunal Jain, Co-Founder, of TPL.

All the franchises will play a total of 5 matches to qualify for the semi-finals as the league’s revolutionary format captures the imagination of tennis fans. All matches between the two franchises will comprise Men's Singles, Women's Singles, Mixed Doubles and Men's Doubles. There will be 80 points at stake in each tie between two franchises, where each category would be worth 20 points. Each team will play a total of 400 points (80 points x 5 matches) at the league stage. All games of the TPL will be played in the Balewadi Stadium in Pune.