AFTER SUCCESSFULLY HOSTING major international events such as the ATP Tour 250, WTA 125 and ATP Challenger Tour tournaments over the past five years, the Directorate of Sports and Youth Services, in collaboration with the ATP organising committee, has decided to expand tennis development to the district level in partnership with the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA).
As part of the initiative, 20 international tournaments sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), with prize money of USD 15,000 and USD 25,000, will be organised across various districts in Maharashtra. The move aims to strengthen grassroots and district-level tennis while offering Indian players more opportunities to earn valuable world ranking points.
To support the programme, the Government of Maharashtra, through its Urban Development Department, has issued a special Government Resolution (GR). The tournaments will be staged in cities that already have adequate tennis infrastructure or where new facilities are planned for development.
Prize money for the events will be funded through the five per cent sports allocation in the annual budgets of municipal corporations. Additional financial backing will also be secured through partnerships with local industries and institutions.
The first tournament under the initiative will be held in Mumbai at the MSLTA complex from 15 to 22 March. It will be followed by events in Nagpur from 22 to 29 March and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar from 29 March to 5 April.
MSLTA president Prashant Sutar said, “This initiative marks the first significant step in my tenure as MSLTA President to ensure tennis is no longer confined to metropolitan cities but reaches rural and district-level players across Maharashtra. By hosting ITF tournaments on home soil, we want to give our players the right exposure and infrastructure without the financial burden of overseas travel.”
ITF Tournament Initiative chairman Ashish Sharma (IAS) stated, “We are partnering with MSLTA to develop tennis and build a robust ecosystem from the ground up. This will empower districts to host world-class events, fostering talent and infrastructure that positions Maharashtra as a tennis powerhouse.”
ITF Tournament Initiative secretary Shravan Hardikar (IAS) added, “Alongside the ITF events, we are also organizing All India-level junior tournaments in the preceding week, so juniors can come, play, and also watch the seniors in action. Our aim is to ensure more players get into the sport at the grassroot level so that we can have more players from Maharashtra shine in the future.”
