The sixth-annual L&T Mumbai Open, presented by the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) and the Cricket Club of India (CCI), is all set to begin on February 5, 2024, with qualifying matches taking place on February 3 and 4.
The professional women’s tennis tournament will be played at the Cricket Club of India’s recently installed tennis courts and will include players from 31 different countries.
The competition, which is being planned at the highest levels, is also being supported by leading brands. While L&T India is the title sponsor, Enerzal, Radio City 91.1 FM, Amrete Water, Department of Sports, Cisco, MHADA (Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority), Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital and MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority) are also among the other sponsors of the tournament.
Sanjay Khandare and Pravin Darade, both IAS and members of the Organising Committee, said, “We are delighted to bring back world class tennis to Mumbai after a gap of a few years. The WTA Mumbai Open has attracted some big names and rising stars in the past, including two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, who won her first WTA $125K title right here in Mumbai in 2017. We have a strong field this year as well with the likes of Kayla Day, Nao Hibino and Tamara Zidansek in the field as well as the rising Russian Alina Korneeva. We hope tennis fans in Mumbai will come out in flocks to support the players and the tournament.”
The third edition of the WTA Mumbai Open will feature world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka (2017) and Luksika Kumkhum (2018) of Thailand as previous singles champions.
Kayla Day, the 92nd-ranked American and 2016 US Open girls singles champion, will head the 32-player field, followed by three-time WTA Tour singles champion Nao Hibino of Japan and 97th-ranked Tamara Zidansek, a former French Open semifinalist.
Additionally, direct entrance for the doubles competition is offered to Prarthana Thombare, the top-ranked doubles player in India, and her Dutch partner Arianne Hartono. The final match for the championship is scheduled for February 11.