Dubai: The doubles title winners of the Dubai Duty Free Men’s Open have welcomed the changing face of the sport with the much-talked about International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) due at the end of this year.
Indian doubles star Mahesh Bhupathi has teamed up with the legendary Boris Becker to announce the IPTL and the first player draft was up for auction here on Sunday. And Bopanna — a one-time doubles partner of Bhupathi — and Pakistan’s Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi have backed the new concept to go through successfully for the sake of the sport.
“I think it’s really fabulous to have a team event like this, to have all the top athletes come together. It would be a great experience to be a part of a team that could also feature [Novak] Djokovic, [Pete] Sampras, Serena [Williams], all in one team. This never happens. You get to spend time with these top athletes, get some experiences from them. So if I’m in one of the teams and if I get picked, it’s going to be a hell of an experience and I think it’s great for tennis,” Bopanna said.
“Tennis is such an individual sport. It also brings camaraderie to all the players, as well. I think it makes it a much more healthier option, as well, for all the players, so I think it is great Mahesh managed to start it,” he added.
“As a Pakistani, obviously for me it’s going to be an honour and privilege to be a part of any team. I never even imagined to be on the same side if I get picked for Rafa [Nadal], [Pete] Sampras, [Michael] Chang. I just saw these guys on television,” Qureshi remarked.
“For me it’s all global. Team Tennis is just in the United States. You’re bringing so many aspects of the game, getting involved especially the Asian market where you don’t get to see the top stars very often, and that can only be good for the sport,” he added.
