World Tennis League Round-Up: Shapovalov leads the charge for Hawks as Badosa seals epic comeback for Eagles

The first day of the World Tennis League (WTL) is in the books, with the Hawks—led by Denis Shapovalov and Elina Svitolina—emerging as the big winners of the opening Round Robin session. The traditional exhibition tournament has touched down in Bengaluru, India, for the first time, bringing a fresh energy to the mixed-team event.

Played in a format combining men’s and women’s singles and doubles featuring ATP and WTA stars alongside local Indian talent, the day also saw Team Eagles secure a victory. Although their path was much tighter, Gael Monfils and Paula Badosa spearheaded a dramatic turnaround to give them the edge on Day 1.

The opening duel saw World No. 23 Denis Shapovalov face off against local favorite Dhakshineswar Suresh, the current World No. 426. The Indian player put up a valiant battle against the former Wimbledon semifinalist, but Shapovalov managed to break through in the final moments of the match to secure a 7-5 win, giving the Hawks the early lead.

The second match featured an intriguing clash between Ukraine’s top two female stars: Elina Svitolina (No. 15) defeated her compatriot Marta Kostyuk (No. 28), also relying on a late break to extend the lead for the Hawks, who started the tie with two singles victories.

In the men's doubles, Shapovalov teamed up with Yuki Bhambri, while the Kites welcomed Nick Kyrgios back to the court, partnering with Suresh. Boosted by the Australian’s presence, the Kites secured a 6-4 victory, restoring hope heading into the final rubber. However, Svitolina returned to partner with Rajeshwaran in the mixed doubles, defeating Kostyuk and Raina 7-5 to close the day. The Hawks took the overall tie with a cumulative score of [25-21], placing them momentarily at the top of the group.

The second group clash of the day began with a blockbuster singles match: Gael Monfils (No. 68) against Daniil Medvedev (No. 13). In an unexpected turn, the Frenchman outplayed the former US Open champion 6-3, giving the Eagles the early advantage. In the women’s singles, Spain’s Paula Badosa (No. 25)—returning after a long injury layoff in recent months—could not overcome Poland’s Magda Linette, who secured the Falcons' first win with a 6-4 scoreline.

The tie seemed to be slipping away from the Eagles during the men's doubles. Medvedev partnered with former doubles World No. 1 Rohan Bopanna to dominate Monfils and local star Sumit Nagal 6-2, giving the Falcons a significant lead in the total game count.

However, everything came down to the mixed doubles, where the Eagles pulled off a stunning comeback. Trailing by 3 games in the overall score, they needed a dominant victory to steal the tie—and they delivered. The duo of Badosa and Nagal crushed Bopanna and Linette 6-1, flipping the script to secure the victory for the Eagles with a total score of [18-16].