Kia TPL announces dates for 2026 Race to Gold Masters

Hyderabad: The Kia Tennis Premier League (TPL) has announced the dates for the 2026 Race to Gold (RTG) Masters, a grassroots initiative under which 36 promising junior tennis players from six regions — Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka and the North Zone — will receive scholarships.

Two Under-14 champions will also get the opportunity to travel to the Australian Open 2027 through the newly introduced Kia TPL Road to the Australian Open initiative.

In its first year of association with TPL, Kia India is supporting the league’s vision of strengthening grassroots tennis in India and creating meaningful opportunities for young athletes to develop their game and pursue their ambitions on the international stage.

The Race to Gold Masters will be held over three weekends in November, featuring boys’ and girls’ categories in the Under-10, Under-12 and Under-14 age groups.

The schedule is as follows:

• North Zone Masters: November 14–15, DLTA, Delhi

• Gujarat Masters: November 21–22, SRT10 Altevol Centre of Excellence, Ahmedabad

• Maharashtra Masters: November 28–29, Goregaon Sports Club, Mumbai

The scholarships are designed to support young athletes beyond the court by providing tennis equipment, personalised apparel, professional guidance and opportunities to interact with leading Indian tennis icons such as Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna, as well as top international players.

The 36 recipients will be felicitated during the eighth season of the Kia Tennis Premier League in Hyderabad this December. The ceremony will be integrated into the live broadcast on JioHotstar. Since its launch, the Race to Gold scholarship programme has supported 80 young players.

Alongside the RTG scholarship programme, TPL and its teams have also conducted eight free tennis camps across eight States. The camps educated children and parents on nutrition, fitness and mental training, helping lay the foundation for India’s next generation of tennis champions.

Adding an international dimension to the Race to Gold programme, Kia India and TPL are introducing the Kia TPL Road to the Australian Open 2027 initiative.

The six Under-14 boys’ and girls’ scholarship winners from the six regions will compete in a final round-robin tournament in Mumbai on November 29.

The top boy and girl from the event will each get the opportunity to travel to Melbourne for the Australian Open 2027. Kia India will cover the expenses for each player and one parent, giving them the chance to experience one of the world’s biggest tennis events.