Tennis Premier League (TPL): India’s Franchise Tennis League

The Tennis Premier League (TPL) is an Indian professional tennis competition that brings national and international players together through a franchise based team format. Launched in 2018, the league has created a platform where established professionals and emerging Indian talent compete together.

Known for its fast paced 25 point format, TPL offers a different viewing experience from traditional tennis tournaments. Eight franchises compete across men’s singles, women’s singles and doubles matches, with every point contributing to the team’s overall score. The eighth season is scheduled for December 8 to 13, 2026, in Hyderabad.

What Is the Tennis Premier League (TPL)?

The Tennis Premier League, also known as the Kia Tennis Premier League because of its title sponsorship, is an Indian franchise tennis competition promoted by Skygoal Sports Private Limited. It was founded by Kunal Thakkur and Mrunal Jain, with its first season taking place in Mumbai in 2018.

The league operates under the support of the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and aims to make professional tennis more accessible to Indian audiences. It brings together international players, Indian professionals and franchise teams in a format designed to keep matches competitive and engaging.

Unlike individual tennis tournaments, where players compete for personal titles and rankings, TPL uses a team based scoring system. Each franchise builds a squad through marquee player selections and an auction process. Players represent their teams across different match categories.

How Does the Tennis Premier League 25 Point Format Work?

The 25 point format is one of the biggest features of the Tennis Premier League. Instead of using the traditional game, set and match structure, TPL gives each contest a fixed target of 25 points.

Every team match consists of four categories:

• Women’s Singles: One player from each franchise competes in a singles contest.
• Men’s Singles: Two male players face each other in an individual contest.
• Mixed Doubles: A male and female player from each team compete as a pair.
• Men’s Doubles: Two male players from each franchise play together.

Each category is played over 25 points, making 100 points available across the four contests. Every rally awards one point, and there are no traditional deuce or advantage situations. The team with the higher combined score across the four categories wins the match.

For example, if a team wins women’s singles 14 to 11, it collects 14 points towards its overall match total, while its opponent receives 11. The same principle applies to the other three categories.

The format makes individual performances important, but it also rewards teams that maintain consistency across all four disciplines.

Tennis Premier League Teams and Franchises

The Tennis Premier League features eight franchises representing different cities and regions of India. Each team combines Indian and international players, giving local talent opportunities to compete alongside experienced professionals.

The eight franchises confirmed for Season 8 are:

Franchise	City or region
GS Delhi Aces	Delhi
Hyderabad Strikers	Hyderabad
Lucknow Blazers	Lucknow
Gurgaon Grand Slammers	Gurgaon
Gujarat Panthers	Gujarat
Rajasthan Rangers	Rajasthan
HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades	Kolkata
Mumbai Royals	Mumbai

The teams compete for the league title, with the top four progressing to the semi finals under the current competition structure. Franchise representation also helps the league connect with tennis audiences beyond traditional centres of the sport.

Tennis Premier League Winners: Season Wise Champions

Since its launch in 2018, TPL has completed seven seasons. Hyderabad Strikers have been the most successful franchise, winning the championship three times.

Season	Year	Champion	Runner up
Season 1	2018	Sea Hawks	Black Panther
Season 2	2019	Pune Warriors	Punjab Bulls
Season 3	2021	Hyderabad Strikers	Mumbai Leon Army
Season 4	2022	Hyderabad Strikers	Mumbai Leon Army
Season 5	2023	Bengaluru SG Pipers	Bengal Wizards
Season 6	2024	Hyderabad Strikers	Mumbai Eagles
Season 7	2025	GS Delhi Aces	Yash Mumbai Eagles

The league did not hold an edition in 2020. Its third season returned in 2021, followed by annual editions from 2022 onwards.

Hyderabad Strikers established themselves as a dominant franchise by winning three titles in four seasons between 2021 and 2024. GS Delhi Aces then claimed their first championship in 2025, defeating Yash Mumbai Eagles 51 to 36 in the final at Ahmedabad.

Tennis Premier League Season 8: Schedule, Venue and Teams

The eighth edition of the Kia Tennis Premier League will take place from December 8 to 13, 2026, at LB Tennis Stadium in Hyderabad. It will be the first time the competition is hosted in the city.

Eight franchises will compete over six days, using the league’s signature 25 point format. The season follows the successful 2025 edition in Ahmedabad, which marked the league’s first move outside Maharashtra.

Season 8 detail	Information
Competition	Kia Tennis Premier League
Edition	Season 8
Dates	December 8 to 13, 2026
Venue	LB Tennis Stadium, Hyderabad
Participating teams	8
Match format	25 point format
Streaming platform	JioHotstar
Streaming time	4:30 PM onwards

The season will bring together Indian professionals and international players across all eight franchises. The league’s auction has already taken place, with teams completing their announced player selections ahead of the competition.

TPL Season 8 Auction: Players and Top Bids

The Season 8 player auction took place in Mumbai in October 2026. It attracted attention from tennis personalities including Leander Paes, Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna, along with franchise representatives and other guests.

Four players emerged as the joint highest acquisitions, each fetching ₹13 lakh. They were Belgium’s Sofia Costoulas, Russia’s Sofya Lansere, Belarusian player Iryna Shymanovich and India’s Dhakshineswar Suresh.

The announced franchise squads include several familiar Indian names and international professionals.

Franchise	Announced players
Rajasthan Rangers	Rinky Hijikata, Sriram Balaji, Anastasia Zolotareva
Gurgaon Grand Slammers	Rohan Bopanna, Daniel Masur, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty
HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades	Roman Burruchaga, Anirudh Chandrasekar, Fangran Tian
Gujarat Panthers	Alexandre Muller, Ramkumar Ramanathan, Iryna Shymanovich
Hyderabad Strikers	Dino Prizmic, Siddhant Banthia, Sofya Lansere
Lucknow Blazers	Dalibor Svrcina, Dhakshineswar Suresh, Julie Stuplova
Mumbai Royals	Terence Atmane, Niki Poonacha, Tara Wuerth
GS Delhi Aces	Adam Walton, Rithvik Choudhary Bollipalli, Sofia Costoulas

Rohan Bopanna is among the biggest Indian names in the Gurgaon Grand Slammers squad. Other notable selections include Ramkumar Ramanathan, Sriram Balaji and Dhakshineswar Suresh.

How Does TPL Support Young Indian Tennis Players?

The Tennis Premier League aims to contribute to Indian tennis beyond its main franchise competition. Its grassroots programmes give young players opportunities to participate in tournaments, receive coaching and gain exposure to professional tennis environments.

One of its initiatives is the Race to Gold programme, which supports promising junior players through competitive events and scholarships. The league has also organised tournaments across multiple Indian cities to widen participation.

Its 2026 grassroots programme includes TPL 1000 tournaments and Champions’ Camps conducted with the eight franchises. These camps cover areas such as:

• Tennis coaching and match preparation
• Sports psychology
• Fitness and physical conditioning
• Nutrition and recovery
• Physiotherapy and injury prevention

This approach matters because developing professional tennis players requires more than regular court practice. Access to fitness guidance, nutrition, recovery support and mental preparation can help young athletes build the skills needed for higher levels of competition.

Where to Watch Tennis Premier League 2026?

Fans in India can follow the eighth season through JioHotstar. The announced streaming schedule begins at 4:30 PM onwards from December 8 to 13, 2026.

The league has also used television broadcasting partnerships in previous seasons. However, viewers should check the official TPL announcements for confirmed television coverage and any changes to the broadcast schedule.

Fans can also follow the official Tennis Premier League website and social media channels for fixture updates, player news, results and team announcements.

FAQs About Tennis Premier League

Conclusion

The Tennis Premier League has built a distinct place in Indian tennis by combining franchise competition, international participation and grassroots development. Its 25 point format gives every rally value, while the team structure creates opportunities for Indian players to compete alongside established professionals. With Hyderabad hosting Season 8 in December 2026, TPL continues to expand its reach and strengthen its role in the growth of tennis in India.