South Asia’s only ATP 250 event to be held at the Balewadi Stadium from Dec 31 to Jan 7, 2023
Pune, December 30, 2022: World No. 17 Marin Cilic and one of the most experienced Indian doubles exponents Rohan Bopanna will be among the stars to vie for title at the Tata Open Maharashtra, set to kickstart at the Balewadi Stadium in Pune on Saturday.

The Tata Open Maharashtra is one of India’s oldest running sporting events and this ATP 250 tournament is testament of Pune’s growing tennis culture. Organised by the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) in association with the Government of Maharashtra, the prestigious tournament will be celebrating its fifth edition this year.

“Tata Open Maharashtra is a great pride for Pune and Maharashtra along with the entire country. This tournament has a rich legacy and has been visited by some of the greatest players in the past. Pune is home of tennis in India and has produced top players for the country. Hosting such tournaments put the city on the global map and are great for the growth of sports in the city as youngsters get motivated by watching the stars,” Mr Saurabh Rao, Divisional Commissioner of Pune, who is also an IAS officer, commented while addressing the media at the press conference in Pune on Friday.

While Pune has been at the forefront of all major sports revolution; it has been a cradle to tennis’s growth and popularity in India too. Nurturing newer talents to inspiring next generation of sporting enthusiasts to take up tennis- the city of Pune has played a defining role every time.

“Right from the state of the art sport facilities at Balewadi Stadium to the names that have been headlining in this top notch tournament is testament of how they feel being in Pune. The city has always played a big role in shaping the sporting dynamics and we are extremely proud to have played a role in it,” Vikram Kumar, IAS, Commissioner, PMC also said during the Press Conference.

“The five years of hosting India and South East Asia’s only international Tennis Tournament is not only a matter of extreme pride for everyone here in Pune but as Maharashtra Government we have made it a point to support the event, ensure every foreign player feels at home too. Encouraging Sports have been a priority for us and we are here to ensure Tata Open Maharashtra is a flying success,” Suhas Diwase, IAS, Commissioner, Sports, Govt of Maharashtra further added.

The Singles Main Draw and Doubles Wildcards were also announced at the Press Conference. Mukund Sasikumar received the first Singles Main Draw Wildcard on Wednesday, January 28th. Sumit Nagal was given the second Singles Wildcard during the Press Conference. Local lad Arjun Kadhe and his partner Fernando Romboli received the Doubles Wildcard.

This edition will see, 2014 US Open champion Cilic taking part in the singles main draw, which also consists of 17 top-100 players including last edition’s runner-up Emil Ruusuvuori and the World No. 35 Botic van de Zandschulp among others.

On the other hand, three-time Grand Slam champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury will fight in the doubles alongside the two-time champion Bopanna, who has partnered with Dutchman Zandschulp.

“We have a very strong field this year with many top players playing and I am confident that the fans will get to see exciting action throughout the week. We are fortunate enough to have support from the government and the local authorities which has played a key role in organising this tournament with great success. It’s been a fabulous four years so far and we look forward to celebrating the special fifth year as well as many more editions in Pune,” said Prashant Sutar, Tournament Director of Tata Open Maharashtra and Chairman of MSLTA.

“Tata Open Maharashtra is a great platform for Indian players to compete against world’s top players and it gives them confidence to do well at the international circuit. It’s important to create opportunities for our players in order to boost overall growth of the sport. This year as well we have some talented Indian players participating and I hope they use this chance to impress everyone and showcase their top game,” said Sunder Iyer, Joint Secretary of All India Tennis Association and Secretary of MSLTA.

The Tata Open Maharashtra is owned by IMG and managed by RISE Worldwide and sponsored by Tata Motors.

Fans can book tickets on Zoonga.com. Entry will be free for the qualifying rounds. The thrilling live action from the main draw will also be available on Sports18 – 1 SD, Sports18 – 1 HD and JioCinema.

The qualifiers will take place on Saturday and Sunday while the main draw will be played from January 2-7.