look news india
Mumbai, 6 December (Hindustan Reporter). Veteran Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna is one of the marquee players in the Tennis Premier League (TPL) Season 6. Two-time Grand Slam champion Bopanna is representing Rajasthan Rangers, competing in the mixed doubles and men’s doubles categories.
After three days of tennis action at the Cricket Club of India (CCI), Mumbai, his team is third on the points table with 154 points and is all set for a qualification spot for the finals.
This is Bopanna’s first season in the Tennis Premier League. “This is an exciting format and it keeps everyone on their toes because every point is important,” he said in a statement issued by the organisers. I am having a lot of fun playing TPL.”
Regarding playing in Mumbai after a long time, he said, “I last played in Mumbai in 2007 and I love playing here very much. “I have played two ATP finals on this particular court.”
At Rajasthan Rangers, Bopanna has reunited with his former doubles partner Leander Paes, who is the team mentor. Asked about the opportunity to work with Paes again, Bopanna said, “He has been my partner for so long. It’s been 30 years since I’ve been playing this game, I’ve gained a lot of experience and that’s the additional experience I bring. So, it’s a really fun team.”
There are many talented young players playing in the Tennis Premier League this season and the two-time Grand Slam champion is happy to see them on the big stage. Hyderabad Strikers’ 21-year-old Karan Singh has caught Bopanna’s attention.
He said, “I have been watching Karan, and I think he is a great talent. We need a lot of encouragement not only from private sponsors but also from the federation to support such talent. It is good to see the youngsters playing on the big stage.”
Talking about the journey of the league over the last five seasons and its further rise in popularity in the sixth season, Bopanna said, “It is growing every year and I think that is the beauty of a league like TPL. Kunal Thakur and Mrinal Jain have done a great job in reaching out to all the players. They get a chance to compete against each other in a team competition and have fun at the same time. It is beautiful.”