Big-ticket tennis all set to leave India

Unconfirmed reviews counsel that the Maharashtra Open will now be staged in Hong Kong, one other metropolis thought of pit-stop on the way in which to Australia.
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI

India’s lone ATP 250 occasion, the Tata Open Maharashtra, is set to transfer in a foreign country.

After having discovered a near-permanent residence for 27 years – first in Delhi (one version), then Chennai (21 instances) and ultimately in Pune (5), the premier tennis match will most probably not usher within the season forward of the Australian Open from 2024.

The five-year contract organisers Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) had inked with homeowners IMG and RISE Worldwide to conduct the competitors in India ended with the 2023 version.

Though negotiations have been underway for a renewal and Tata Open discovered a point out within the ATP 2024 calendar, monetary expenditure, considerably greater than the common of ₹15 crore per yr, reportedly proved the undoing.

Unconfirmed reviews advised that the match will now be staged in Hong Kong, one other metropolis thought of pit-stop on the way in which to Australia.

“We are happy with what we achieved,” Sunder Iyer, Secretary, MSLTA advised The Hindu. “We are not parting on a bad note. May be the owners have better prospects elsewhere.”

“It will be a loss for Indian tennis, but we will look at other events like Challengers. The ATP 250 helped the sport indirectly, but a Challenger can have more of a direct impact because more Indians can enter it.

“We have a commitment from both the Government of Maharashtra and sponsor Tata for promoting tennis, and if any opportunity comes up for an ATP or WTA event, we will certainly be interested,” Sunder added.

However, in recent times, the very conduct of such competitions has been known as into query, with doubts being raised whether or not they assist Indian tennis gamers, particularly these in singles.

The match has little doubt seen participation from high-profile stars reminiscent of Pat Rafter, Boris Becker, Carlos Moya, Rafael Nadal, Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic, and been an awesome hit with followers. But Somdev Devvarman, who peaked at No. 62 on the planet, stays the final Indian to have reached a singles Tour-level last at residence – Chennai, 2009.

In current years, gamers have both obtained in as a result of the sphere has been weak (like in 2020) or due to wild playing cards. Right now, India doesn’t have a participant within the ATP top-250, making it tough to justify the large outlay – round ₹75 crores over 5 editions in Pune.

Chennai blues

Chennai, which had reappeared on the worldwide tennis map for the primary time since 2017 with a WTA 250 occasion, is again off it. The Tamil Nadu Tennis Association, led by Vijay Amritraj, had leased it from the Hong Kong-based APG group which couldn’t maintain the competitors in China due to COVID-19. The WTA Tour is set to return to China later this yr.