'Time for cultural shift': Rohan Bopanna calls for robust local circuit

Ace Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna called for a complete overhaul of the Indian tennis' system in a social media post on Sunday.

"It is about time. Time for a cultural shift," Bopanna wrote on X, formerly Twitter. 

Suggesting what changes Indian tennis requires at the moment, the 44-year-old, who bid farewell to Davis Cup in 2023 and international tennis after a first-round exit from the Paris Olympics in 2024, said India needed a 'Stronger Domestic Circuit', 'Improved Grassroot Infrastructure', 'Focus On Youth Development', 'Player - Coach - Synergy' and 'More International Exposure'.

While responding to a query about the expenses of starting a domestic league, Bopanna said, "For a domestic circuit with larger prize pools, better infrastructure, approx the cost could be Rs 10 crore to Rs 20 crore per year. High end estimate."

India need a robust local circuit: Bopanna

Bopanna, the winner of the Australian Open Grand Slam, also emphasised that India needed a well-structured domestic circuit to help players earn ranking points and much-needed confidence to compete at the international level. 

The doubles specialist also suggested a measure to help players bring down the cost of international travelling. 

"Travelling internationally is extremely expensive. A robust local circuit reduces costs and allows more players to compete regularly," said Bopanna.

"A well-structured domestic circuit can serve as a stepping stone to international tournaments, allowing players to build ranking points and confidence," he added.

Boppanna's remark came after India fell behind 0-2 against Sweden in the Davis Cup World Cup 1 tie in Stockholm Saturday. 

As India trail, N Sriram Balaji, who lost to Sweden's top-ranked player Elias Ymer 4-6, 2-6 in the opening rubber, underlined India's poor balance in the squad. "If you ask me doubles is my first priority now. So through the player I am playing only doubles; I do not play singles much. So I am not really comfortable right now," Balaji said to media persons after Saturday's matches. 

With Sumit Nagal, the country's highest-ranked men's singles, pulling out and Mukund Sasikumar being banned by AITA, India's chances in the Davis Cup tie against Sweden hang in a thread.