TNTA president Vijay Amritraj confident of bringing WTA action to Chennai

While India is set to lose its only Tour-level event next year, there is still hope for the country’s tennis fans to witness some big-time tennis live in the future.

The WTA 250 Chennai Open is set to be held at the SDAT Stadium in Nungambakkam from November 2 to 8. As it stands, this will be the third and final edition. To capitalise on the growing popularity of World No. 20 Alexandra Eala, the rising Filipino star, the governing body for women’s tennis and Octagon, the tournament’s license-holder, have decided to replace the Chennai Open with a maiden Tour-level event in Manila in the same window in 2027.

However, according to Tamil Nadu Tennis Association president Vijay Amritraj, an effort is being made to host four consecutive WTA 125 events in India in early 2028. WTA 125 is a category of tournaments between the main WTA Tour and the ITF circuit.

“The plan is to put four WTA 125s — one each in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Maharashtra — in January-February 2028. I have already brought up the subject. And they have tentatively blocked some dates for me,” the 72-year-old Amritraj told reporters on Tuesday.

Mumbai has already been playing host to a WTA 125 for the last three seasons.

Indian tennis legend Amritraj also mentioned that Chennai, which has a long history of hosting ATP and WTA tournaments, will be ready in case a slot opens next year. West Asia is scheduled to host a few tennis tournaments in early 2027 but the rising tensions in the region, which have already affected a few sports events recently, could have a further impact on the calendar.

“When something comes up, Chennai is ready. Just give me a chance of at least two weeks to make sure I can get the event funded,” said Amritraj.