Hope to get WTA event back: TNTA prez Amritraj

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA) president Vijay Amritraj on Sunday said that he would do everything in his power to bring back the WTA Chennai Open 250 later this year.

After the TNTA obtained a one-year license with immense support from the Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai hosted its first-ever WTA event in September last year. But, the tournament is currently not a part of the packed WTA 2023 calendar.

When asked about the possibility of the event returning, Amritraj, speaking at an ATP Chennai Open Challenger press conference here, replied: “It is still a work in progress. I am still hoping to get our WTA [tournament] back in September. It will be very important for our girls.”

Amritraj added: “Certainly, we are working very hard to see if we can get back the ATP 250 event (it was last hosted in 2017). We need to have the ATP 250 [tournament] in January or February. We have got a very small window to be able to do it.”

The 69-year-old Amritraj also said that he has been having conversations with the legendary Bjorn Borg about organising exchange programmes for Indian and Swedish youngsters in the future.

“We (India) do not have a player in the top-200 [in singles]. There are lessons to be learned. Hopefully, Bjorn and I can help with cross-country promotions – their juniors can come here and our juniors can play there. Those kinds of things are what Bjorn and I are talking about. Maybe, we will be able to pull it off. It will be good for both.”