Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], December 9 (ANI): Tennis Premier League (TPL) Season 7 began with a landmark moment as two of India's greatest tennis icons - Sania Mirza, Brand Ambassador of Gurgaon Grand Slammers, and Rohan Bopanna, marquee player for SG Pipers - reunited on court for a special exhibition match that electrified a packed Gujarat University Tennis Stadium, as per a release from TPL.

It was a mixed doubles match as Sania Mirza paired up with Dan Evans of Gurgaon Grand Slammers and defeated Rohan Bopanna and Shrivalli Bhamidipati of SG Pipers 10-6.

Sania Mirza received a rousing welcome from fans in Ahmedabad and expressed her delight at seeing the sport fill stadiums in India. This visit was particularly special for her, as she returned to Ahmedabad almost 30 years after last playing here as an under-14 athlete.

She said, 'Thank you, Ahmedabad, for the welcome. Me and Rohan come from a time when there was hardly anybody watching tennis, so to have a stadium full of people is a real pleasure to see. Thank you for welcoming tennis and welcoming TPL here. That's exactly what TPL does, it grows the sport. It gives opportunities to younger athletes to test themselves against international players. We saw some great tennis today, and hopefully over the coming days you'll come out and cheer for the home athletes and the ones who have come from outside India,' as quoted from a release by TPL.

Rohan Bopanna echoed the sentiments, highlighting how TPL continues to create meaningful pathways for emerging players.

'There's tremendous experience all these players get by competing in an event like this. Sania and I have always wanted to give back and help young players grow. She has been a fantastic role model, not only in tennis but across sport. It's amazing that tennis has come to a new city in Ahmedabad, and we're happy to be here,' Bopanna said.

In a light-hearted moment ahead of the match, Sania joked about letting Rohan win the exhibition match.

'I haven't touched a tennis racquet since the 2023 Australian Open final, so I'm just excited to be here. Rohan recently announced his retirement but as you can see from his level today, he can still play for a few more years!' she said with a smile.

The exhibition match served as a fitting curtain-raiser to TPL Season 7, where eight franchises - Rajasthan Rangers, Gurgaon Grand Slammers, Gujarat Panthers, Hyderabad Strikers, GS Delhi Aces, Yash Mumbai Eagles, Chennai Smashers and SG Pipers Bengaluru will battle for the prestigious title. (ANI)