Key Points

Rakul Preet and Sonali Bendre attended the auction ceremony of the Tennis Premier League Season 7 in Mumbai on Thursday.

While speaking to the media, Rakul Preet Singh emphasised the significance of TPL, stating that this league helps popularise tennis in India.

"Every year, the league is getting bigger and stronger. We have a lot of players who rank in the top 50 in the world. This is a big achievement for TPL. The aim of the league was to popularise tennis as much as cricket, like the IPL. Every other sport should also have a platform. Hopefully, by next year, we can go global," said Rakul Preet Singh.

Sonali Bendre also expressed her views on the growing Tennis Premier League in India.

While talking to the media, she said, "If this league has reached season 7, then that means that it's going well. Sports are crucial to imbibe discipline in children. Through cricket, we understood that young players gain more excitement and talent if they get exposure to international players. We are looking forward to that."

The Tennis Premier League (TPL), powered by Clear Premium Water, conducted its Season 7 Player Auction on October 9 in Mumbai, with tennis legends Leander Paes, Sania Mirza, and Mahesh Bhupathi in attendance alongside league Co-Founders Kunal Thakkur and Mrunal Jain.

The auction witnessed intense bidding as franchises competed to assemble their squads ahead of the season, scheduled from December 9 to 14, 2025, at the Gujarat University Tennis Stadium in Ahmedabad, according to a TPL release.

SG Pipers Bengaluru, led by Indian doubles legend Rohan Bopanna, acquired Shrivalli Bhamidipati, India's No. 2 singles player, who is at the top of her form, having recently won the Billie Jean King Cup Asia/Oceania Group 1 for India, for Rs 8.60 lakh.

The team also secured 30-year-old Ramkumar Ramanathan for Rs 7.20 lakh, combining seasoned experience with emerging talent.

Defending champions Hyderabad Strikers, led by Arthur Rinderknech (World No. 54), engaged in a competitive bidding war to secure French youngster Carole Monnet (World No. 205) for Rs 10.60 lakh.

They also welcomed back their doubles star from last season, Vishnu Vardhan, for Rs 6 lakh.

With the top bids of the night going to doubles specialists Sriram Balaji and Rithvik Bollipalli (Rs 12 lakh each), the league has highlighted the premium on experienced doubles talent in shaping competitive squads this season, the release said.

- ANI