Bengaluru, March 21 In a significant boost to Karnataka's growing tennis profile, Tumakuru is set to host its first ever ITF Women's World Tennis Tour W35 tournament from May 4-10.
The tournament will be held at the Tumkur District Tennis Stadium, on the Tumkur University Campus.
This upcoming W35 will be the second international event in Tumakuru's history, and the first ever ITF Women's tournament in over two decades.
The USD 30,000 event is part of the global ITF Women's circuit, offering a pathway for players to earn professional ranking points and progress towards the WTA Tour.
Emerging international players and top Indian professionals will compete in the 32-player singles main draw and qualifying rounds.
Following a successful run of international tournaments in Bengaluru and Kalaburagi, this event strengthens Karnataka's presence on the global tennis calendar and reflects efforts to take the sport beyond established centres.
The tournament marks a historic moment for Tumakuru, which last hosted an international tennis event in 2003 – the ATP Challenger (Tumkur Open).
The event featured players such as Rohan Bopanna and Prakash Amritraj, while Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber claimed the title.
Among the field was Marcos Baghdatis, who reached the semi-finals and later rose to a career high World No. 8, finishing runner-up in the 2006 Australian Open.
The tournament remains the only international tennis event to have been held in the city.