Mumbai, Sep 12 (IANS): Former men's doubles world No. 1 and Indian ace Rohan Bopanna will be making his first appearance at the Tennis Premier League season 6, starting in December.

Having been part of the ATP Tour for close to two decades, Bopanna will now take on a new style of tennis at the TPL. All the franchises will play a total of 5 matches each to qualify for the semi-finals as the league’s revolutionary 25-point format captures the imagination of tennis fans.

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.

Currently ranked world number 6 in men’s doubles, 44-year-old Bopanna, 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 Bangalore, Bopanna 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.

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,” said Bopanna.

Kunal Thakkur, co-founder, TPL, said, "It is fantastic to have onboard with us the very dynamic Rohan Bopanna. His credentials and abilities are something we don’t need to touch upon for obvious reasons, and we are confident that his presence will not only give a boost to the sixth season of TPL but also motivate the other players that tad bit more, especially when there is a former World Number 1 on court.”

"Rohan Bopanna is one of the icons of Indian tennis, and we are elated to see that he will be playing in the TPL in Season 6. Not only will that have heads turning in Mumbai but also around the tennis world as well. We are looking forward to some great games of tennis with Rohan and the rest of the players,” Mrunal Jain Co-Founder, TPL added.