CHENNAI: Big-time tennis is set to return to the city after a hiatus of three years. If all goes well, a WTA 250 event will be hosted at the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) Stadium from the last week of October (Oct. 27th to November 2nd to be exact).
It comes with one caveat. It's pending WTA Board approvals but it's generally seen as a formality according to Vijay Amritraj, the president of the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA).
TNTA, whose last tour event was the 2022 WTA event, had been patiently waiting for an opening for an event over the last few years. They wanted to host a marquee event this year to coincide with the 100 years of TNTA.
TNTA wasn't the front-runners to lease the event for 2025 but Amritraj & Co. lobbied for it by saying 'it would be a celebration because of the Association turning a 100 years,' Amritraj said in a select media interaction on Saturday. "We finally got the okay from the owners' company (the ones who own the event originally have it in Mexico) two days ago," he said.
The WTA approval is generally viewed as a formality but TNTA has been working the phone lines to ensure they get it over the line. "I have spoken to them as well," the 71-year-old said.
The Tamil Nadu government will be playing a lead role in terms of sponsorship. "
"We want the government as the anchor tenant," Amritraj said. "They are completely 100% supportive of us. They're doing literally everything that we'd like them to do. We are looking for other sponsors as well. Obviously to be able to fill the gaps and so on. Which I'm sure we'll get. As we did in 2022. Obviously the numbers have gone further up from three years ago."
They are also trying to keep the event for two more years. Amritraj reckons they will get final clearance from the WTA board within the next three weeks.
If they do get it, there are already preliminary plans to give a wild card to Maaya Rajeshwaran, the 15-year-old TN player who trains at the Nadal Academy in Spain. Rajeshwaran came into the limelight after enjoying a run to the semifinals of the WTA 125 event in Mumbai earlier this year.
Details
Event: WTA250
Prize money: $300000
Venue: SDAT courts, Chennai
When: Oct 27 - Nov 2
Subject to regulatory approval