Exhibition centers: where and how Russian tennis players spend their off-season

Russian tennis leader Daniil Medvedev has arrived in Bangalore, India, where the World Tennis League exhibition tournament will be held from December 17 to 20. The former world number one has joined the Falcons, where Polish Magda Lynette and two tennis players from India will play with him. Izvestia tells us what kind of competitions they are and how our other players are spending this offseason.

Medvedev became a "Falcon"

Medvedev is actively preparing for the new season. This is his second exhibition tournament in Bangalore this offseason. At the end of November, for the first time in five years, he competed in Russia — the Trophies of Northern Palmyra in St. Petersburg. Other leaders of our tennis took part in them: Karen Khachanov, Diana Schneider, Veronika Kudermetova and Anastasia Potapova. The latter announced a few days later that she had changed her citizenship to Austrian.

The Sphinxes team, for which Daniil played, was able to defeat the Lions — 105:101. The first number of the Russian national team was pleased with this trip. "I haven't been to St. Petersburg since 2020, so it's nice to be back here. I love this city. I've always liked the organization at the St. Petersburg Open, and considering that the same people make the Trophies of Northern Palmyra, everything turned out to be at the highest level again," Medvedev told SE and Izvestia. — As a result, everyone enjoyed these days. I hope we were able to please the spectators who filled the stands. We'll see, hopefully we'll be able to come back next year."

Daniel will be the main star at the World Tennis League in Bangalore. After arriving at the tournament, he posted a short message on social media that went viral among Indian fans: "Hello, India! It's nice to be back here. Is there any advice while I'm here?" The second star was supposed to be Elena Rybakina, representing Kazakhstan. However, the Bangalore audience will not see the champion of the Final 2025 Tournament. The ex-Russian explained her refusal by the lack of rest after a long season and problems with her leg.

This year, the World Tennis League roster is not as powerful as in previous editions. This exhibition tournament has been held since 2022, but previously it was hosted by the UAE cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Many notable players came to it. Now, half of the applications (eight out of 16 participants) have been given to far from the strongest Indian tennis players.

The participants are divided into four teams ("Eagles", "Falcons", "Hawks", "Kites"), each with two men and two women. At the first stage, the assembled teams play with each other. The matches between the teams consist of four matches: one men's singles, one women's and two doubles (there can be both purely women's and purely men's matches, as well as mixed ones). The two strongest four teams compete for the trophy at the end of the round.

Medvedev got to the Falcons, where Polish Magda Lynette and two tennis players from India will play with him. Frenchman Gael Monfils, Canadian Denis Shapovalov, Australian Nick Kyrgios, Spaniard Paula Badosa and two Ukrainians Marta Kostyuk and Elina Svitolina are also present at the tournament.

Rublev's tour of Asia

Dubai is becoming the main tennis city at this time of the year, although only one major event is planned here in December — the "Battle of the Sexes" between Arina Sobolenko and Nick Kyrgios, which will be held on the 28th.

However, it is in the UAE that many players spend their preparation for the season.

— November and December are tennis months in Dubai. Everyone is here now. There's no problem finding someone to play with or practice with. You can make an agreement any day. From here, everyone will fly to Australia," Russian tennis player Vitaliya Dyachenko explained to SE.

Andrey Rublev, the second number of the Russian men's ranking, is also conducting his training in Dubai these days. He can hardly stand training in the UAE under the guidance of Marat Safin. "It's crazy for me, because Marat and the other guys in the team are just killing me. I don't remember pre-seasons when the loads were like this. First, two and a half hours of pure physical work, then about two more hours on the court, and he continues to finish me off. No mistakes on the back line and high intensity until you get the result. All this pressure is directed at myself — it's always about what you can handle and improve," Andrew complained on Greg Rusedski's podcast.

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Rublev will not fly directly to Australia from Dubai. After the Western Christmas, the Russian will travel to Chinese Shenzhen. where the World Tennis Continental Cup tournament will be held from December 26 to 28. Eight players will take part in it, who were divided into two teams — Europe and the rest of the world. At the same time, Andrei was not assigned to the Old World tennis players, like Elena Rybakina. They will be opposed by the European four, led by the second number of the women's ranking, Iga Sventek. Swiss Belinda Bencic, Italian Flavio Kobolli and Frenchman Valentin Vachero, one of the main sensations of last season, will also join the Polish. The rest of the world's team was supplemented by Chinese Zhang Zhizhen and Wang Xinyu. Over the three days of the tournament, players will play 10 matches: singles and mixed doubles.

And in the first week of competition, Rublev will go to the ATP 250 series tournament in Hong Kong, which starts on January 5. Russian Karen Khachanov is also listed there.

Mirra flies to Macau

The central theme of the women's offseason was the large number of transfers of Russian women to other national teams. Uzbekistan turned out to be the main destination for our players. Over the past three months, Maria Timofeeva, Alexandra Barmicheva, Kamilla Rakhimova and Polina Kudermetova have gone to play for this national team.

"She probably understood that she would not qualify for the next Olympics as part of Russia. I understood that there was no chance," Svetlana Zhurova, a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, commented on the transition of Kudermetova Jr., which became known on December 14. — Is this a betrayal? Only if the country has invested money in it. We need to calculate… And if only the parents invested, how can this be considered a betrayal? Athletes have changed their citizenship before, but we didn't always even know about it: a person left and left."

Anastasia Potapova, who now represents Austria, has become the highest-rated player among those who have left in recent months. She currently ranks 50th in the WTA, below seven Russians.

Mirra Andreeva remains the leader of our ranking, ranking ninth in the WTA rankings. In the offseason, she is announced for the exhibition tournament in Macau — MGM Macau Tennis Masters. It will be held on December 27-28. The tournament will feature a battle between two teams, which will be led by Chinese captain Li Na and Spanish coach Andreeva Conchita Martinez. There are six tennis players: two girls and four men. Mirra will be the main star of these competitions. She will play two matches in Macau: one against Filipina Alexandra Eala, as well as one mixed doubles match.

Frenchman Hugo Humber, Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Chinese Wu Yibin were announced for the men's roster of the tournament. In total, the schedule includes four men's singles matches, one women's and one mixed doubles match. The Captains' challenge will open every game day.

Mirra will start her season in Adelaide at the WTA 500 tournament, which will be held on January 12-17. The second, third and fourth rackets of Russia are also announced there.: Ekaterina Alexandrova, Lyudmila Samsonova and Diana Schneider.