MUMBAI: In a bid to create more personality around tennis The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour is launching a 12-episode television series.

The show will give viewers a glimpse of the off-court passions and lifestyles of the stars.

In India WTA action airs on Ten Sports. The magazine-style show, sponsored by Dubai Duty Free and entitled Dubai Duty Free presents Real Life On The WTA Tour, will be packed each month with intimate features, human-interest stories and behind-the-scenes footage.

The half an hour shows, produced by the Tour and KC Productions, debut on 26 July on Eurosport, potentially exposing the women's game to 240 million viewers in 54 countries each year. The series will also air on The Tennis Channel in the US starting on 8 August.

The initial four episodes of 'Real Life' are complete and include footage from Tour events held earlier this year in Dubai, Amelia Island, Charleston, Rome, Berlin, Paris and Wimbledon. The premiere episode features multiple Grand Slam champion Serena Williams on a shopping trip in Charleston and getting ready for an awards gala; a day-in-the-life with Justine Henin-Hardenne at Saddlebrook Resort near Tampa, Florida; and rising star Wimbeldon champion Maria Sharapova during her recent Italian Vogue magazine photo shoot.

The new series will compliment the Tour's recently-launched European television news service. The news service creates and distributes highlights of major European Tour events to broadcast media outlets around the world, further expanding the visibility of the game