On Tuesday, December 9, 2025, the seventh edition of the Tennis Premier League (TPL) commenced at the Gujarat University Tennis Stadium. The event began with a special exhibition match that saw two greatest tennis icons and former players, Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna. Sania is the Brand Ambassador of Gurgaon Grand Slammers; meanwhile, Rohan is a marquee player of the SG Pipers.
The two reunited on court for a mixed doubles match. Sania paired up with Dan Evans for Gurgaon to defeat Rohan and her team partner Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, who were playing for SG Pipers by a score of 10-6.
The exhibition match was a curtain-raiser for TPL 2025. The tournament will see eight franchises, including Rajasthan Rangers, Gurgaon Grand Slammers, Gujarat Panthers, Hyderabad Strikers, GS Delhi Aces, Yash Mumbai Eagles, Chennai Smashers, and SG Pipers Bengaluru, competing for the winners’ title.
TSL 2025 Opening Day Match
The first match of the tournament saw the battle between SG Pipers Bengaluru vs Gurgaon Grand Slammers. Shrivalli contested against Sahaja Yamalapalli in the women’s singles and went on to win the battle for SG Pipers by a score of 18-7.
In the mixed doubles, Srivalli next teamed with Bopanna, and they won the battle over Sahaja and Sriram Balaji by 14-11. Meanwhile, Evans won the men’s singles match after defeating Ramkumar Ramnathan by 16-9.
He, however, lost the men’s doubles match alongside Balaji against the SG Pipers duo of Bopanna and Ramnathan by 15-10.
SG Pipers Bengaluru ended the day with a top overall score of 56-44.
Sania on her Ahmedabad visit
Since the 2023 Australian Open, Sania has been away from the tennis court and living her retirement period for now. Three years later, she again picks up her tennis racquet to play the exhibition match, and with that, she also makes her return to Ahmedabad, 30 years since her last appearance as a U-14 player.
Post her victory at the exhibition match in TSL, Sania reflected on how the tournament offers opportunities to young female Indian tennis players and gives them a chance to compete in international tournaments. She also credited Ahmedabad for becoming India’s sporting capital with the Commonwealth Games coming soon.
Sania said, “Thank you, Ahmedabad, for the welcome. Thank you for welcoming tennis and welcoming TPL here. That’s exactly what TPL does, it grows the sport. It gives opportunities to younger athletes to test themselves against international players.”
Meanwhile, Bopanna also credited TSL for providing the platform for young and emerging talents in tennis.
He said, “Sania and I have always wanted to give back and help young players grow. She has been a fantastic role model, not only in tennis but across sport. It’s amazing that tennis has come to a new city in Ahmedabad, and we’re happy to be here.”
(Inputs sourced from The Bridge)
