Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 12 (ANI): The much-awaited sixth edition of the Tennis Premier League (TPL) is around the corner, and the former World Number 1 Rohan Bopanna will be part of the tournament in Mumbai in December.

Currently, Bopanna is ranked world number 6 in men's doubles.

One of India's most decorated and followed tennis players, Bopanna, will be making his first appearance at the Tennis Premier League, which aims to revolutionise the way the sport is played.

The 44-year-old, who has won 2 Grand Slam titles (Australian Open in 2024 in Men's Doubles and French Open in 2017 in Mixed Doubles), has also represented India at three Olympic Games, with a best finish of fourth in 2016 in Rio.

Hailing from Bengaluru, the ace Indian tennis player also holds the record for being the oldest player to become World No. 1, when he scaled the peak at the end of January, earlier in the year. He has won more than 25 career titles and is only the fourth Indian tennis player after Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza to reach the top of the tennis rankings. All four are the only Indian Grand Slam winners and who are also supporting this league.

All matches between two franchises will comprise Men's Singles, Women's Singles, Mixed Doubles and Men's Doubles. There will be 100 points at stake in each match between two franchises, where each category would be worth 25 points. Each team will play a total of 500 points (100 points x 5 matches) at the league stage and the top 4 teams in the points table to qualify for the semi-finals.

Bopanna will join the likes of Sumit Nagal, France's Hugo Gaston and Armenian Elina Avanesyan as they battle it out for the top prize, at the iconic Cricket Club of India, which, over the years, has been home to some of India's most memorable tennis events.

"I'm thrilled to become a part of the Tennis Premier League, especially with its innovative 25-point format. It's a perfect way to wrap up the year. I believe that tournaments like the TPL, which are actively contributing to grassroots development, will inspire more young players," Bopanna was quoted in a release from Tennis Premier League as saying. (ANI)