Mahesh Bhupathi makes a play for power in the tennis world!

Mahesh Bhupathi has been in the public eye for a long time now. Whether it’s his exploits on the doubles court (Bhupathi has won 4 men’s doubles and 8 mixed doubles grand slam titles) or off the court (Bhupathi has been married twice, has often taken an anti-establishment stance in Indian tennis and has a business venture Globosport that has is one of the leading players in the Indian sports and entertainment space).

Now as he rides his playing career into the sunset (Bhupathi would be retiring from the sport at the end of the 2013 season), the Indian is making a play for power as he aims to become a powerful influential figure in the world of tennis… perhaps the next Ion Tiriac!

Last week, Bhupathi pulled off a coup by getting into a joint venture with Simon Fuller’s XIX Entertainment. The venture, named XIX Globosport, will look at sports and entertainment opportunities in India and the Middle East and has already signed on world no. 2 Andy Murray as their first client.

For those in the tennis world who are not familiar with Fuller – he is the man behind the Idol franchise. He is also the co-creator and executive producer of reality TV shows such as So You Think You Can Dance, and was brainchild behind the Spice Girls. In 2007, Fuller was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. The man definitely knows how to package and has a pulse of the market even before the audience does.

The XIX Globopsort deal is not the only venture Bhupathi has been working in in recent months. His other plan is an international tennis league, based in India and the Middle East, envisioned along the lines of cricket’s super-successful IPL league which would take place during tennis’ rather short off-season.

The All India Tennis Association had announced a similar proposal a few years ago. But like most of their other plans, it is yet to take off. If anyone has any doubts on the seriousness of Bhupathi’s proposal, the Indian ace has already spoken to the Australian Open tournament director about his plans since it will be held a few weeks before the year’s first major. And Aisam Ul-Huq Qureshi and Sania Mirza have confirmed that they have been approached to play the league and are definitely interested. With Murray’s presence likely to be a foregone conclusion now that he is part of the Globosport family, it’s likely that several other top names will also be a part of the proposed league.

Bhupathi’s league could surely be a money-spinner. Unlike cricket, which relies on the Indian sub-continent for a majority of its fan base, tennis is a truly global sport and its popularity is increasing in India and other Asian regions. If the proposed league does come to fruition and if it’s well-managed, it could rival football’s EPL or basketball’s NBA as one of the top global sporting franchises in the world. Think TV rights, stadium tickets, merchandise and sponsorship deals. The potential for the international tennis league is enormous.

Bhupathi also has a stake in ‘Sports365’ – an online sports and fitness goods retailer, offering a wide range of quality products, accessories, footwear and apparel. With India’s burgeoning middle class and increasing internet penetration, the Indian is hoping to get a foothold into the nascent online sports industry. And he also has a tennis academy in Bangalore where he is nurturing future talent.

Bhupathi has always been an astute businessman. And while he may not have always struck the right chords during his tennis career, he surely seems to be striking the right deals in the business world as his playing career comes to an end!