TPL Season 8 auction: Costoulas, Lansere, Shymanovich, Suresh top at ₹13 lakh
Synopsis
Four players — Belgium's Sofia Costoulas, Russia's Sofya Lansere and Iryna Shymanovich, and India's Dhakshineswar Suresh — each fetched ₹13 lakh at the TPL Season 8 auction in Mumbai, setting the tone for a fiercely competitive eighth edition at Hyderabad's LB Tennis Stadium this December. With Leander Paes and Sania Mirza in the bidding room and Rohan Bopanna captaining a franchise, the league's star power is rising with every season.
Key Takeaways
Sofia Costoulas , Sofya Lansere , Iryna Shymanovich , and Dhakshineswar Suresh were the joint-highest acquisitions at ₹13 lakh each.
The TPL Season 8 Player Auction was held at the Four Seasons Hotel, Mumbai on 12 October 2026 .
The season runs from 8 to 13 December 2026 at the LB Tennis Stadium, Hyderabad , live on JioHotstar from 4:30 pm IST .
Argentina's Roman Burruchaga (World No.
56 ) is the highest-ranked active player in the league, leading Kolkata Thunder Blades .
Defending champions GS Delhi Aces retained a winning connection by acquiring Season 7 top performer Sofia Costoulas .
Leander Paes , Sania Mirza , and Rohan Bopanna participated in bidding; Amruta Fadnavis attended as chief guest.
The Tennis Premier League (TPL) Season 8 Player Auction concluded at the Four Seasons Hotel, Mumbai on 12 October 2026, with Belgium's Sofia Costoulas, Russia's Sofya Lansere, Iryna Shymanovich, and India's Dhakshineswar Suresh emerging as the joint-highest acquisitions, each fetching ₹13 lakh. The eight franchises have now completed their squads ahead of the season scheduled from 8 to 13 December 2026 at the LB Tennis Stadium, Hyderabad.
Top Picks and Marquee Moments
The auction drew considerable star power, with tennis legends Leander Paes and Sania Mirza placing bids, alongside Rohan Bopanna, actor Rakul Preet Singh, and Sonali Bendre. Amruta Fadnavis attended as the chief guest. The intense bidding wars underscored franchises' appetite for a blend of proven international talent and emerging Indian players.
GS Delhi Aces, the defending champions led by Australia's Adam Walton (World No. 97), secured Costoulas — a top performer from TPL Season 7 — for ₹13 lakh. Costoulas currently holds a WTA ranking of 159 and reached a career-high of 134 in 2026. Gujarat Panthers matched that figure by acquiring Shymanovich, currently ranked World No. 213 with a career-high of 150 in 2026. Hyderabad Strikers snapped up Lansere for the same price; she is currently ranked World No. 266 with a career-high of 200. Lucknow Blazers completed the quartet by landing Suresh for ₹13 lakh — the young Indian, currently ranked World No. 369 in singles, achieved a career-high of 353 in 2026.
Franchise-by-Franchise Breakdown
Kolkata Thunder Blades, anchored by Argentina's Roman Burruchaga at World No. 56 — the highest-ranked active player in the league — secured China's Fangran Tian for ₹9.20 lakh and India's Anirudh Chandrasekar for ₹7.20 lakh. Chandrasekar is currently ranked World No. 98 in doubles.
Rajasthan Rangers, anchored by Australia's Rinky Hijikata — the 2023 Australian Open men's doubles champion and 2025 Wimbledon doubles runner-up — brought in doubles specialist Sriram Balaji for ₹8 lakh. Balaji has reached the quarterfinals of the 2026 French Open. Russia's Anastasia Zolotareva, currently ranked WTA 269, was acquired for ₹7.30 lakh.
Gurgaon Grand Slammers, captained by former World No. 1 doubles player Rohan Bopanna, secured India's Shrivalli Bhamidipaty for ₹7 lakh. Bhamidipaty reached a career-high WTA ranking of 300 in 2024. Germany's Daniel Masur, who holds a career-high singles ranking of 176 from 2022, joined for ₹7.10 lakh.
Mumbai Royals, led by France's Terence Atmane at World No. 99, acquired India's Niki Poonacha for ₹7.20 lakh — Poonacha holds a career-high ATP doubles ranking of 85. Croatia's Tara Wuerth, who has reached a career-high WTA ranking of 145, was signed for ₹7 lakh.
Gujarat Panthers, with France's Alexandre Muller returning as marquee player, also brought in Ramkumar Ramanathan for ₹7 lakh. Ramanathan is an Asian Games silver medallist in men's doubles from 2022. GS Delhi Aces added India's Rithvik Choudhary Bollipalli — who reached a career-high ATP doubles ranking of 65 in 2025 — for ₹7 lakh.
Format and Broadcast Details
TPL Season 8 will feature the league's signature 25-point format, where every point carries direct consequence on team standings. All matches at the LB Tennis Stadium, Hyderabad will be live-streamed on JioHotstar from 4:30 pm IST onwards. Detailed scheduling is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
What to Watch in Season 8
The presence of Burruchaga at World No. 56 gives Kolkata Thunder Blades a significant rankings edge on paper, while GS Delhi Aces will look to leverage Costoulas's Season 7 winning pedigree to defend their title. The auction's competitive bidding signals that franchise ambitions — and budgets — are scaling up alongside the league's eighth edition.
Point of View
But the strategic logic is sharper than the price tag suggests. Franchises are deliberately pairing ranked international players with ascending Indian talent, a structure that serves both competitive and developmental optics. The real story is the growing institutional legitimacy: Bopanna captaining a team, Paes and Mirza bidding from the floor, and a Bollywood-and-political celebrity row as the backdrop all signal that TPL is positioning itself as more than a niche calendar fixture. Whether the product on court — in a 25-point format most casual viewers don't yet follow — can convert that star power into sustained audience growth remains the league's central challenge.
NationPress
12 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the highest-paid players in the TPL Season 8 auction?
Belgium's Sofia Costoulas, Russia's Sofya Lansere and Iryna Shymanovich, and India's Dhakshineswar Suresh were the joint-highest acquisitions, each fetching ₹13 lakh. They were picked up by GS Delhi Aces, Hyderabad Strikers, Gujarat Panthers, and Lucknow Blazers respectively.
When and where will TPL Season 8 be held?
TPL Season 8 will be held from 8 to 13 December 2026 at the LB Tennis Stadium in Hyderabad. Matches will be live-streamed on JioHotstar starting at 4:30 pm IST each day.
Which is the highest-ranked team in TPL Season 8?
Kolkata Thunder Blades, led by Argentina's Roman Burruchaga at World No. 56, have the highest-ranked marquee player in the league. The team also features China's Fangran Tian and India's Anirudh Chandrasekar.
Who are the defending champions and how did they prepare for Season 8?
GS Delhi Aces are the defending TPL champions, led by Australia's Adam Walton (World No. 97). They reinforced their squad by re-acquiring Sofia Costoulas — a top Season 7 performer — for ₹13 lakh, along with India's Rithvik Choudhary Bollipalli for ₹7 lakh.
What is the TPL playing format?
The Tennis Premier League uses a signature 25-point format where every point directly affects the match outcome, making each rally consequential. Full scheduling details for Season 8 are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
