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Race to Gold Masters: How TPL's New Tournament Hunts Future Tennis Stars

The Tennis Premier League has launched its Race to Gold Masters tournament starting in Delhi. This exciting initiative will travel to three cities across India to discover young tennis talent. Top performers will receive scholarships and get to meet tennis legends like Leander Paes. The program aims to develop players who could compete in India's potential 2036 Olympic hosting bid.

Key Points: Tennis Premier League Race to Gold Masters Begins in Delhi

  • Tournament travels across Delhi, Gujarat and Mumbai in three-city format
  • Offers ₹75,000 scholarships to top players in multiple age categories
  • Winners get to interact with legends Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna
  • Features unique 25-point format designed to showcase emerging talent
3 min read

Tennis Premier League's Race to Gold Masters kicks off in Delhi

TPL's Race to Gold Masters kicks off in Delhi, offering scholarships and mentorship to young tennis talent across India with Olympic ambitions for 2036.

"The 'Race to Gold' initiative is directly inspired by India's aim to host the 2036 Olympics in Ahmedabad. - Kunal Thakkur, Co-Founder, Tennis Premier League"

New Delhi, Nov 15

The Tennis Premier League (TPL) Race to Gold Masters tournament kicked off its first leg at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) on Saturday. Beginning with their North Zone in Delhi, the tournament will be played across three cities, including Gujarat (November 2 and 23) and Mumbai (November 29 and 30), in association with the respective state tennis associations.

An initiative by TPL, this tournament provides a platform for emerging tennis talent, allowing them to showcase their skills using TPL’s unique and exciting 25-point format. The aim is to unearth India's tennis talent pool and help build a robust domestic ecosystem for the sport.

The top-ranked players of each Race to Gold Masters Zone across U10 Boys & Girls, U12 Boys & Girls, U14 Boys & Girls, and Men’s & Women’s Open categories will receive scholarships worth ₹75,000. To celebrate their achievements, the winners will be felicitated live on television during the upcoming seventh season of the Tennis Premier League, set to be held in Ahmedabad from December 9 to 14.

The winners will also get the opportunity to interact with Indian tennis legends Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna and play alongside some of the top players in TPL Season 7, including Luciano Darderi, Arthur Rinderknech, Corentin Moutet, Alexandre Muller, Sahaja Yamalapalli, and Shrivalli Bhamidipaty.

Sharing his thoughts on the initiative, Kunal Thakkur, Co-Founder, Tennis Premier League, said, "The Tennis Premier League (TPL) believes that the league cannot grow unless the sport of tennis grows in India, and we are doing whatever we can to support that. The 'Race to Gold' initiative is directly inspired by India's aim to host the 2036 Olympics in Ahmedabad. We felt this was the right time to start an initiative to help produce a player who can win an Olympic medal in tennis, just as Leander Paes won the bronze."

Mrunal Jain, Co-Founder, Tennis Premier League, added, "If we support players who are U10, U12, and U14 now, they will be peaking in the next 10 to 11 years, just in time for the Olympics. This initiative allows young talent to be felicitated by tennis legends, see top-50 world players live in action, and even learn from them directly on the court, which is essential for building our domestic ecosystem."

The seventh season of the Tennis Premier League is set to be held in Ahmedabad from December 9 to 14 at the Gujarat University Tennis Stadium.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Great to see tennis development happening across multiple cities. Delhi, Gujarat, Mumbai - this pan-India approach is exactly what we need. Hope they expand to South India in the next edition!
A
Arjun K
The 2036 Olympics vision is inspiring! Starting with U10 players now means they'll be in their prime by then. Smart long-term thinking by TPL. 🇮🇳
S
Sarah B
While the initiative is good, I hope they ensure equal opportunities for players from smaller towns and rural areas. Tennis infrastructure is still very urban-centric in India.
K
Karthik V
₹75,000 scholarship is decent, but I hope corporate sponsors come forward to increase the amount. Tennis equipment and coaching are expensive in India.
M
Meera T
My nephew is participating in the U12 category in Delhi! The energy at DLTA was amazing yesterday. So proud to see Indian tennis getting this boost! 🎾
D
David E
The 25-point format sounds interesting - makes the matches more fast-paced and exciting for young players. Good innovation for developing tennis talent.

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