India's Tennis Dreams: Scouting the Next Leander Paes at the Grassroots
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In a bid to rewrite India's tennis story at the Olympics, the Tennis Premier League (TPL) is scouting the country's next tennis stars. The league's 'Race to Gold' tournament has already begun, with a focus on children between 10-14 years old. Founders Kunal Thakkur and Mrunal Jain aim to create a host of formidable tennis players from India in a decade. The TPL is holding tournaments at the district level, scouting for talent from across the country. The winners of these tournaments earn a spot in the Masters event, which comes with a scholarship of INR 75,000. The goal is to identify talented players from every city and state, and steadily increase the number of kids they support. TPL has already seen a surge in interest from small towns, contradicting the misconception that tennis is a game of the elite. The league is using technology to track player progress and provide them with equipment and international exposure. The top players will get to interact with tennis icons like Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna, making it a strong motivator for the young players. As TPL scales up, it's clear that the league is no longer just about importing the tennis craze to India, but about building the country's tennis foundation from the ground-up. With the Olympics 2036 in sight, India's next tennis stars could be just a decade away from making history.
