The tennis world is waiting with great interest because the highly anticipated International Tennis Premier League (ITPL) debuts this year.
Drawing on similar parallels to the Twenty20 Indian Premier League (IPL), the ITPL will see the inception of generous player fees and a player auction where teams have the opportunity to bid on players.
The world’s best past and present players will come together for what promises to be an exciting competition format. World number ones Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams will be taking part, in addition to former world number ones Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Carlos Moya.
Players will be broken up into four teams representing various parts of Asia. The Asian market represents a breeding ground for tennis enthusiasts and the ITPL’s intention is to foster that growth in order to attract potential consumers towards the game.
The co-founder of the ITPL, Indian tennis great Mahesh Bhupathi, has a lot of work to do before the competition begins.
He must convince players that the time frame of the ITPL will not hamper their recovery period that leads into the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year.
The late November/early December block is a time when players recuperate from a rigorous year and use it for essential pre-season training purposes.
Over the last few seasons many high-profile players have voiced their concerns over the yearly schedule, believing it is too demanding and in need of a review.
The governing bodies for the men’s and women’s tour, the ATP and WTA respectively, combine for over 100 tournaments during the year.
There are a number of obligatory events that players must compete in before they are free to organise a schedule that satisfies their playing needs. In essence, players can decide whether they want to take part in the experimental ITPL competition or not.
The noticeable absentees from the ITPL player roster, sighting the issues with its timing, include 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, as well as Maria Sharapova and Li Na.
Federer is in the twilight of his career and has intentions to lighten his playing load in order to keep himself healthy for the major tournaments. In contrast, Nadal’s inclusion is surprising given he is quite susceptible to injury and would welcome the time off.
There will also be a strong Australian presence at the ITPL with former world number one Llyeton Hewitt, Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter and rising star Nick Kyrgios all representing Team Singapore.
History. pic.twitter.com/NHVfMPiadG
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) January 30, 2014
Kyrgios has had a solid start to the 2014 season, winning his first round match of the Australian Open against Benjamin Becker before losing an epic five-setter to Benoit Paire.
The former junior world number one believes the format will be beneficial for his preparation and is excited to test himself against the world’s best.
“It’s obviously good to get matches under my belt before the Australian Open,” Kyrgios says.
He is embracing the inclusion of past players and using it as a chance to obtain priceless advice, especially from Agassi.
“I’m really keen to meet him [Agassi]. I’ve never met him before and I’ll see if he’s got any tips for me.”
The enthusiasm displayed by Kyrgios could potentially see the ITPL flourish and become a significant fixture in future years.
The ITPL will commence on the November 28 and conclude on December 13.
The International Tennis Premier League teams include:
Team Singapore:
Andre Agassi, Tomas Berdych, Daniela Hantuchova, Lleyton Hewitt, Nick Kyrgios, Pat Rafter, Bruno Soares and Serena Williams
Team Bangkok:
Victoria Azarenka, Kirsten Flipkens, Daniel Nestor, Carlos Moya, Andy Murray and Jo Wilfred Tsonga
Team Mumbai:
Rohan Bopanna, Ana Ivanovic, Sania Mirza, Gael Monfils, Rafael Nadal, Pete Sampras and Fabrice Santoro
Team Dubai:
Novak Djokovic, Goran Ivanisevic, Martina Hingis, Malek Jaziri, Janko Tipsarevic, Caroline Wozniacki and Nenad Zimonic
Sean Munaweera is a third-year Bachelor of Journalism (Sport) student at La Trobe University. Follow him on Twitter: @sean_muna
