Kia Tennis Premier League Season 8 Auction: Four Players Fetch ₹13 Lakh as Eight Franchises Finalise Squads

Sofia Costoulas, Sofya Lansere, Iryna Shymanovich and India's Dhakshineswar Suresh emerged as the joint-highest acquisitions at the Kia Tennis Premier League (TPL) Season 8 auction, fetching ₹13 lakh each as the eight franchises assembled their squads for the upcoming season.

The auction took place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Mumbai, with tennis legends Leander Paes, Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna, alongside actors Rakul Preet Singh and Sonali Bendre, in attendance. Amruta Fadnavis graced the occasion as chief guest.

The eighth edition of the league will be held at the LB Tennis Stadium in Hyderabad from December 8 to 13, 2026, with matches scheduled to be streamed live on JioHotstar from 4:30 PM onwards.

The four top bids highlighted the franchises' determination to combine established international players with promising Indian talent. While Costoulas will join defending champions GS Delhi Aces, Lansere will represent Hyderabad Strikers, Shymanovich will turn out for Gujarat Panthers, and Suresh will strengthen Lucknow Blazers.

Dhakshineswar Suresh was among the biggest talking points of the auction after Lucknow Blazers secured the Indian player for ₹13 lakh. Currently ranked world No. 369 in singles, Suresh achieved a career-high ranking of 353 in 2026. The franchise is led by Czechia's Dalibor Svrcina, who has reached a career-high ranking of 86. Lucknow also signed Czech player Julie Stuplova for ₹7 lakh. Stuplova currently holds a ranking of world No. 237 and reached a career-high of 207 earlier this year.

Defending champions GS Delhi Aces made a major acquisition by signing Belgium's Sofia Costoulas for ₹13 lakh. Costoulas was among the leading performers in TPL Season 7 and currently holds a WTA ranking of 159, having reached a career-high ranking of 134 in 2026. Led by Australia's Adam Walton, ranked world No. 97, Delhi also acquired India's Rithvik Choudhary Bollipalli for ₹7 lakh. Bollipalli reached a career-high ATP doubles ranking of 65 in 2025, adding further strength to the defending champions' squad as they prepare to retain their title.

Gujarat Panthers secured Iryna Shymanovich for ₹13 lakh. The Belarusian, currently ranked world No. 213, achieved a career-high WTA ranking of 150 in 2026. The franchise, led by France's Alexandre Muller, also signed Indian player Ramkumar Ramanathan for ₹7 lakh. Ramanathan brings considerable experience, including a men's doubles silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games.

Hyderabad Strikers completed the fourth top acquisition by signing Russia's Sofya Lansere for ₹13 lakh. Lansere currently holds a world ranking of 266 and has achieved a career-high WTA ranking of 200. The franchise is led by Croatian youngster Dino Prizmic, ranked world No. 95, and also secured India's Siddhant Banthia for ₹7 lakh. Banthia reached a career-high doubles ranking of 115 in September 2026.

Gurgaon Grand Slammers, led by Indian doubles great and former world No. 1 Rohan Bopanna, secured Shrivalli Bhamidipaty for ₹7 lakh. Bhamidipaty reached a career-high WTA ranking of 300 in 2024. Germany's Daniel Masur joined the franchise for ₹7.10 lakh, bringing a career-high singles ranking of 176 achieved in 2022.

Rajasthan Rangers, anchored by Australia's Rinky Hijikata, strengthened their squad with Indian doubles specialist Sriram Balaji for ₹8 lakh. Hijikata won the men's doubles title at the 2023 Australian Open and finished runner-up in men's doubles at Wimbledon in 2025. Balaji, who reached the quarter-finals of the French Open in 2026, will be joined by Russia's Anastasia Zolotareva, acquired for ₹7.30 lakh.

Kolkata Thunder Blades will feature Argentina's Roman Burruchaga as their marquee player. Ranked world No. 56, Burruchaga is the highest-ranked active player in the league, according to the tournament's announcement. The franchise also signed China's Fangran Tian for ₹9.20 lakh and India's Anirudh Chandrasekar for ₹7.20 lakh. Chandrasekar, ranked world No. 98 in doubles, brings valuable experience to the squad.

Mumbai Royals, led by France's Terence Atmane, ranked world No. 99, acquired India's Niki Poonacha for ₹7.20 lakh. Poonacha has achieved a career-high ATP doubles ranking of 85. Croatia's Tara Wuerth joined the franchise for ₹7 lakh, adding international depth with a career-high WTA ranking of 145.

Kia and TPL Target Growth for Indian Tennis

Kia India Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales Atul Sood said the auction marked an exciting stage in preparations for the new season. Highlighting Kia's long-standing association with tennis, including more than two decades of partnership with the Australian Open, he described TPL as an opportunity to connect with India's evolving tennis culture and showcase established players alongside emerging talent.

TPL co-founder Kunal Thakkur said the competition among the eight franchises and the four ₹13 lakh acquisitions reflected the league's growing competitiveness. He highlighted the opportunities the platform creates for Indian players, particularly Suresh, to compete alongside established international names. Co-founder Mrunal Jain added that the auction had produced squads combining experience with emerging talent, expressing confidence that Season 8 would be the league's most closely contested edition yet.

The upcoming season will feature eight franchises competing in TPL's signature 25-point format, where every point matters. With the squads now assembled, attention turns to Hyderabad, where the franchises will compete from December 8 to 13 for the Season 8 title.

The auction has set up an intriguing contest between defending champions GS Delhi Aces and seven challengers, with the combination of international experience and Indian talent expected to be central to the competition.