Will Bhupathi’s League Fly?

Written by: Staff on 6th January 2014

Will Bhupathi’s League Fly?

epa02064627 Mahesh Bhupathi of India training before Davis Cup match in Moscow, Russia 4 March 2010. The Davis Cup matches Russia against India will start on 05 March. EPA/YURI KOCHETKOV |

Mahesh Bhupathi and his partners were very excited when they formally announced plans for an International Premier Tennis League (IPTL), last May, but now some ex and current players are expressing doubts about its potential.

The league is scheduled to stage its inaugural season at the end of 2014. Bhupathi has discussed having six teams throughout Asia. He has talked about bringing stars such as Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka into the league, which would consist of five one-set matches lasting a duration of three hours. Co-ed teams would be comprised of between six and 10 players and total salaries for each franchise costing between $4 and $10 million. A legends singles would also be a part of each tie.

An auction is supposed to take place around the time of the Australian Open, which begins the week after next. The league would place from late November through the first few weeks of December.

But former top 20 player Vijay Amritraj isn’t convinced it will fly. “It’s a tall order,” Amritraj told the Asian Age “If it’s not economically feasible, whoever is doing it for the thrill of it has to be concerned about its longevity.”

Amritraj isn’t sure why top players would be motivated to compete in the league. “How do you pay enough money to someone who made around $70 million last year? And health is more important for these guys. Nobody wants to get injured by pushing themselves in the off-season. Nothing should induce them to play when they are complaining about the length of the season. And if they are fine with playing extra two weeks, then they should not complain.”

While at the ATP Chennai tournament, No. 8 Stanislas Wawrinka also expressed doubts. “They are talking about it for a few years, but so far nothing has happened,” he said.

French player Benoit Paire added: “It’s a good concept, but taking rest and preparing for the new season are my priorities during the break. We already have team matches in France during December, but I have never played. For tennis players, Wimbledon and Roland Garros come before anything else.”

Topics: 10sballs.com, Andy Murray, Atp, Australian Open, Benoit Paire, IPTL, Mahesh Bhupathi, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Stanislas Wawrinka, Tennis, Tennis News, Victoria Azarenka, Vijay Amritraj, Wimbledon