World Tennis League Final Round-Up | Kostyuk and Kyrgios led Kites seal exhibition title in Bengaluru

Kites have been crowned as the champions of the 2025 World Tennis League after winning the final over Eagles in Bengaluru. The team featured Nick Kyrgios, Marta Kostyuk, Dhakshineswar Suresh and Ankita Raina and they won it despite only just sneaking through the group stage.

They only won one match in the Group Stage and it was a come behind victory for the team as they faced Eagles featuring Gael Monfils, Paula Badosa, Sumit Nagal and Shrivalli Bhamidipaty who hadn't lost a game all tournament.

But they did lose the final when it was all said and done which finished 22-19 to Kites and went to the wire in the final game all the way to a tie-break. Kostyuk led from the front as she did yesterday in the comeback win.

She won 6-4 over Shrivalli Bhamidipaty who has been superb this week but was narrowly defeated by Kostyuk in a 6-4 win which set the team en route to the win. Albeit the tables turned again with Kostyuk teaming with Dhakshineswar Suresh in what was a losing effort in match two as Monfils and Bhamidipaty ended up winning 6-3.

Albeit compared to yesterday, it was less weird for Monfils who had to face another Ukrainian in his wife Elina Svitolina but this time it was Kostyuk and they won through 6-3 to put the tie back on track for Eagles who took a narrow lead as a result.

But that was slightly erased with Nick Kyrgios who ironically didn't play singles all week continuing that on to play doubles with Dhakshineswar Suresh who was famed for incredible wins this week including against Daniil Medvedev to even seal their spot in the final. It was Kyrgios and Suresh though who found their way through 6-3 against Sumit Nagal as well as Gael Monfils to throw the tie the way of Kites again.

Suresh had a nervy ending as with no breaks it was forced into a tie-break in which he sealed the win. He went 5-3 up on Nagal but Nagal attempted to throw resistance up only to lose 7-4 anyway.

It was a conclusion to the exhibition event that was certainly worth watching as it went down to the final game and really to the wire and marked a new era of the tournament as it is now being held in India. Bringing out top stars from all of the entertainment industries in the country, it also as Suresh showed in winning it gave a chance to spotlight to players who perhaps wouldn't get that spotlight otherwise.

Kyrgios was an interesting one as he was seemingly invited just to play doubles and albeit he has played exhibitions in recent weeks in singles, he heads towards the Battle of the Sexes next week none the wiser as to his chances of returning to the top table of men's tennis.

He hasn't signed up for anything yet in the new year and will likely rely on an Australian Open wildcard to be involved and take it from there. While he has mooted an injury miracle, it can't be made certain what his current state is. For Kostyuk it is a great way to start the new year too.