India’s Tennis Camps Get a Fresh Kia TPL Grassroots Push in 2026
Kia TPL Takes Junior Tennis Camps to Eight Indian Cities
Young tennis players in eight Indian cities are set to get more than match practice this season, with the Kia Tennis Premier League (TPL) beginning a series of two-day junior camps that combine tournaments with sessions on nutrition, fitness, physiotherapy and sports psychology.
The programme began in Delhi and Gujarat on September 19 and 20. About 300 young players attended the Delhi camp, while another 250 took part in Gujarat. The programme covers boys and girls in the Under-10, Under-12, Under-14 and Under-18 age groups.
Eight TPL franchise teams are involved: GS Delhi Aces, Gujarat Panthers, Mumbai Royals, Rajasthan Rangers, Lucknow Blazers, Kolkata Thunder Blades, Gurgaon Grand Slammers and Hyderabad Strikers. Each team is conducting activities in its home market as part of the wider junior programme.
The camp format is built around rotation. While players from one age group compete in tournament matches, others attend specialist sessions. The groups then switch activities. This gives children time on court as well as access to information that is often handled separately from regular tennis coaching.
For young players, those areas can matter as much as hitting technique. Nutrition affects training and recovery, while physical conditioning can help players cope with the demands of regular competition. Physiotherapy can teach youngsters how to manage their bodies and respond to minor problems. Sports psychology sessions deal with issues such as match pressure, concentration and dealing with difficult moments during competition.
Sessions are being conducted with professionals from Cafe Nutrition, Nudge Sports and Fitness, and physiotherapy specialists. Parents are also being included in the sessions, giving families information about the demands of competitive junior tennis. TPL team mentors are meeting players as well and discussing match preparation, different playing conditions and the mental side of competition.
The programme comes at a time when Indian tennis is still looking for its next major men’s singles breakthrough. India’s only Olympic tennis medal remains the bronze won by Leander Paes in the men’s singles event at the 1996 Atlanta Games. The Indian Olympic Association records Paes as the country’s sole tennis medallist at those Games.
Three decades after Atlanta, the singles pathway remains a key concern. TPL says India currently has no men’s singles player inside the ATP Top 200. That gap is one reason the league has placed junior competitions alongside its professional tournament structure.
Kunal Thakkur, Co-Founder, Kia Tennis Premier League, said:
“India currently does not have a men’s singles player in the ATP Top 200, while our last Olympic tennis medal came in 1996 through Leander Paes. What we are doing today is taking the first step towards addressing this gap. With TPL grassroots tournaments already in full swing across the country and several initiatives planned for juniors, we are building a stronger pathway for young players to develop, compete and eventually reach the highest levels of the sport.”
The junior programme also builds on the league’s existing Race to Gold and scholarship work. The Gujarat Panthers website says the pathway uses grassroots tournaments to identify young players and connect them with the main TPL competition. It lists more than 400 TPL tournaments across 14 states, with 48 players receiving a ₹75,000 scholarship each season.
Mrunal Jain, Co-Founder, Kia Tennis Premier League, said:
“RTG Scholarship has shown us the impact of giving young players the right support and exposure. These camps build on that foundation by combining competitive tennis with guidance across fitness, physiotherapy, nutrition and sports psychology. Our aim is to help every participant learn, grow and see a clear pathway towards Tennis and beyond.”
Kia India became the principal partner of all eight TPL franchises under a multi-year agreement announced in July 2026. The partnership followed a three-year association between Kia India and the Tennis Premier League that began earlier in the year. The company’s branding appears on the front of the eight franchise jerseys.
Kia India said its association with tennis has included a long-running global relationship with the sport and that the Indian programme is intended to give young players greater exposure to competitive tennis.
The next camps will take the programme to six more locations. Mumbai is scheduled for October 10 and 11, followed by Jaipur on October 17 and 18. Kolkata and Lucknow will host camps on October 31 and November 1. Gurgaon follows on November 14 and 15, with Hyderabad scheduled for November 28 and 29.
The programme also comes ahead of the eighth season of the Kia Tennis Premier League. The 2026 league is scheduled to be held in Hyderabad in December, with all eight franchises taking part. The competition will use TPL’s 25-point format.
For the junior players taking part in the camps, the immediate target is more modest than an Olympic medal. They are learning how to prepare for a match, look after their bodies, manage pressure and compete against players from other parts of the country.
The longer-term question is whether programmes such as these can help India produce more singles players capable of moving through the international rankings. The answer will take years to measure. For now, the TPL is putting more children into competitive matches and bringing coaching, fitness, nutrition, physiotherapy and sports psychology into the same two-day programme.
