VMPL
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 13: The Kia Tennis Premier League (TPL) conducted its Season 8 Player Auction at the Four Seasons Hotel in Mumbai, with Leander Paes, Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna, Rakul Preet Singh and Sonali Bendre in attendance. Amruta Fadnavis graced the occasion as the chief guest. The auction witnessed intense bidding as eight franchises competed to assemble their squads ahead of a brand-new season, which will be played at the LB Tennis Stadium in Hyderabad from December 8 to 13, 2026,with matches live-streamed on JioHotstar from 4:30 PM onwards.
Belgium's Sofia Costoulas, Russia's Sofya Lansere, Iryna Shymanovich and India's Dhakshineswar Suresh emerged as the joint-highest acquisitions of the auction, fetching ₹13 lakh each. The bidding reflected the franchises' focus on bringing together establishedinternational players and promising Indian talent as they prepare for the eighth edition of the league.
Gurgaon Grand Slammers, led by Indian doubles great and former World No. 1 Rohan Bopanna, secured India's Shrivalli Bhamidipaty for ₹7 lakh. Bhamidipaty, who achieved a career-high WTA ranking of 300 in 2024, will be joined by Germany's Daniel Masur, who wasacquired for ₹7.10 lakh. Masur, who has a career-high singles ranking of 176 in 2022, adds international experience to the franchise's lineup.
Rajasthan Rangers, anchored by Australia's Rinky Hijikata, the 2023 Australian Open men's doubles champion and 2025 Wimbledon doubles runner-up, strengthened their squad with Indian doubles specialist Sriram Balaji for ₹8 lakh. Balaji, who has reached the quarterfinalsof the French Open 2026, will be joined by Russia's Anastasia Zolotareva, who was acquired for ₹7.30 lakh. Zolotareva currently holds a WTA ranking of 269 and achieved a career-high ranking of 229 in 2026.
HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades will be led by Argentina's Roman Burruchaga, the highest-ranked active player in the league at World No. 56. The franchise added China's Fangran Tian for ₹9.20 lakh, with the player currently ranked World No. 246 and having achieved acareer-high ranking of 243 in 2026. The team also secured India's Anirudh Chandrasekar for ₹7.20 lakh. Chandrasekar, currently ranked World No. 98 in doubles, brings valuable experience to the franchise's lineup.
Mumbai Royals, anchored by Frenchman Terence Atmane, ranked World No. 99, acquired India's Niki Poonacha for ₹7.20 lakh. Poonacha, who holds a career-high ATP doubles ranking of 85, will be joined by Croatia's Tara Wuerth, who was signed for ₹7 lakh. Wuerth,currently ranked World No. 523, has previously reached a career-high WTA ranking of 145, adding further international depth to the squad.
Defending champions GS Delhi Aces, led by marquee player Adam Walton, ranked World No. 97, made one of the biggest acquisitions of the auction by securing Belgium's Sofia Costoulas for ₹13 lakh.
Costoulas, who was one of the top performers and won TPL Season 7, currently holds a WTA ranking of 159 and achieved a career-high ranking of 134 in 2026. The franchise also added India's Rithvik Choudhary Bollipalli for ₹7 lakh. Bollipalli, who reached a career-highATP doubles ranking of 65 in 2025, strengthens the defending champions' lineup as they look to retain their title.
Gujarat Panthers, with France's Alexandre Muller returning as their marquee player, secured Iryna Shymanovich for ₹13 lakh, making her one of the joint-highest acquisitions of the auction. Shymanovich, currently ranked World No. 213, achieved a career-highWTA ranking of 150 in 2026. The franchise also acquired India's Ramkumar Ramanathan for ₹7 lakh. Ramanathan, an Asian Games silver medallist in men's doubles in 2022, brings considerable experience to the squad.
Hyderabad Strikers, led by Croatian youngster Dino Prizmic, ranked World No. 95, made a significant addition by acquiring Russia's Sofya Lansere for ₹13 lakh. Lansere, currently ranked World No. 266, has a career-high WTA ranking of 200. The franchise alsosecured India's Siddhant Banthia for ₹7 lakh. Banthia, currently ranked World No. 118 in doubles, achieved a career-high ranking of 115 in September 2026.
Lucknow Blazers, led by Czechia's Dalibor Svrcina, who has achieved a career-high ranking of 86, made one of the standout Indian acquisitions of the auction by securing Dhakshineswar Suresh for ₹13 lakh. Suresh, currently ranked World No. 369 in singles, achieveda career-high ranking of 353 in 2026. The franchise also acquired Czechia's Julie Stuplova for ₹7 lakh. Stuplova, currently ranked World No. 237, reached a career-high WTA ranking of 207 earlier this year.
With Sofia Costoulas, Sofya Lansere, Iryna Shymanovich and Dhakshineswar Suresh attracting the joint-highest bids of ₹13 lakh, the auction highlighted the growing competition among franchises to secure a combination of international experience and emergingIndian talent. The eight teams will now turn their attention to the upcoming season in Hyderabad, where they will compete for the Season 8 title.
Mr. Atul Sood, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Kia India, commented, “The Season 8 auction marks an exciting moment as the eight franchises build their squads for the competition ahead. With our long-standing global association with tennis, including more than two decades of partnership with the Australian Open, we have seenhow the sport can engage audiences and inspire the next generation. Our association with TPL is a natural extension of that legacy, giving us an opportunity to engage with India's evolving tennis culture and be part of a platform that brings established playersand emerging talent into the spotlight. We look forward to an exciting Season 8 in Hyderabad.”
Sharing his excitement, Kunal Thakkur, Co-Founder, Tennis Premier League, said, “Season 8 marks another step forward for the league. Watching eight franchises compete so strongly for Indian and international talent, with four players fetching thetop bids of ₹13 lakh each, shows how competitive TPL has become. The interest in players such as Dhakshineswar Suresh, alongside established international names, reflects the growing opportunities for Indian talent on this platform. Our aim has always beento give Indian tennis players a bigger stage to compete and showcase their abilities, and we look forward to an exciting week of tennis in Hyderabad.”
Mrunal Jain, Co-Founder, Tennis Premier League, added, “The energy in the room today reflected the excitement around our eighth season. Every franchise has built its squad around a strong marquee player, and the additions made today give each teama balanced mix of experience and exciting talent. Together with Kia India's continued support, we expect this to be our most closely contested edition yet.”
Kia Tennis Premier League Season 8 will see eight franchise teams go head-to-head, competing in the league's signature 25-point format, where every point matters. Further details around the league schedule will be shared in due course.
Kia Tennis Premier League Season 8 – Franchise-wise Squads
Rajasthan Rangers: Rinky Hijikata (Australia), Sriram Balaji (India), Anastasia Zolotareva (Russia)
Gurgaon Grand Slammers: Rohan Bopanna (India), Daniel Masur (Germany), Shrivalli Bhamidipaty (India)
HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades: Roman Burruchaga (Argentina), Anirudh Chandrasekar (India), Fangran Tian (China)
Gujarat Panthers: Alexandre Muller (France), Ramkumar Ramanathan (India), Iryna Shymanovich (Russia)
Hyderabad Strikers: Dino Prizmic (Croatia), Siddhant Banthia (India), Sofya Lansere (Russia)
Lucknow Blazers: Dalibor Svrcina (Czechia), Dhakshineswar Suresh (India), Julie Stuplova (Czechia)
Mumbai Royals: Terence Atmane (France), Niki Poonacha (India), Tara Wuerth (Croatia)
GS Delhi Aces: Adam Walton (Australia), Rithvik Choudhary Bollipalli (India), Sofia Costoulas (Belgium)
(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.)
