The return of the IPTL brings plenty of excitement to Asian tennis fans
Asia's maiden tennis tournament is back for another high octane season! That's right, the IPTL is here again. The league, which created a frenzy in the tennis world with its innovative format, is returning for another season, much to the delight of tennis hungry fans in Asia. Taking a leaf out of major sporting leagues, the International Premier Tennis League will see tennis legends and other players from abroad take sides, and go head to head in a battle for the title of champions.
The league, which was conceptualized by Indian tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi, was created after one critical observation was made – Asia loves its tennis! Therefore, by modelling a tennis league along the lines of the IPL, the International Premier Tennis League was created, which brought legends and fresh tennis talent together.
Some of the biggest names in tennis will be seen together, including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams and many more. However, there is one thing all the Indian tennis fans are fixated on – Roger Federer in India. That's right; the legend of modern tennis will be flying down to India for one of the legs of the tournament.
The Swiss tennis star, who has had a stunning career, will be playing for the UAE Royals, alongside some of the best players in the business. In the first season he played for the Indian Aces, and now he will be seen again, but with a different team.
Federer had a great season last year, and led the Indian Aces to a thumping victory over the UAE Royals. Finishing with 39 points, the Aces took the cup home, and Federer's match with long-time nemesis Novak Djokovic will fondly be remembered by many tennis fans.
While tennis aficionados are looking forward to Federer playing in India again, there is a huge platform for other tennis greats as well. With players like Nadal, Djokovic and more, Federer will look to bring his best game to the tournament, and defeat the opposing teams to lead his team to victory one more time.
With all his years of experience and his 17 Grand Slam titles, the Swiss will likely be able to work through most challenges on the court, and effectively dismiss the lesser players. However, there is always the chance that he will be beaten by members of the Big 3, and that may spell disaster for the UAE Royals.
Irrespective of whether Federer wins or loses though, the IPTL is here to stay, and Asian fans are not complaining!