The World Tennis League is moving from the United Arab Emirates to India and it will feature a notable player field, although not as strong as it was the case in some of the previous years.
The WTL, which held its inaugural edition in 2022, is a mixed-gender team event that takes place during the offseason. After the event's inaugural edition was staged in Dubai, the event stayed in the UAE but moved to Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena for the 2023 and 2024 editions.
The WTL drew some of the biggest names of the game as Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Mirra Andreeva, Jasmine Paolini, Paula Badosa, competed from the WTA Tour, while some of the names from men's tennis included Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud.
This December, the WTL will take place outside of the UAE for the first time and be held in Bengaluru between December 17-20.
For this year's event, the player field includes Rybakina, Badosa, Marta Kostyuk, Magda Linette, Medvedev, Kyrgios, Gael Monfils, Arthur Fils, Sumit Nagal and Rohan Bopanna.
Rybakina: Thrilled to play the WTL in India
"I've heard so much about the tennis culture in India, and I'm thrilled to make my debut here with WTL. The league has an exciting format, and I'm ready to enjoy every moment on the court with my team," Rybakina said in a statement.
Meanwhile, WTL Co-Founder and former doubles world No. 1 Mahesh Bhupathi said: "India has always shared a deep and lasting connection with tennis, and the WTL's arrival here is an opportunity to strengthen that bond. As someone who has lived the sport, I believe this format brings out the fast, dynamic, and engaging side of the competition. With international champions sharing the court with India's top talent, we hope to inspire the next generation of players and showcase tennis as a sport that is intense, global, and full of possibility."
