Vijay Amritraj says WTA action can return to Chennai, outlines plan for 2028 WTA 125s

On October 20, 2026 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu Tennis Association president Vijay Amritraj said he was confident of bringing WTA action to the city, as the WTA 250 Chennai Open is scheduled at the SDAT Stadium in Nungambakkam from November 2 to 8 and will be held for a third and final time.

India is set to lose its only Tour-level event next year after the governing body for women’s tennis and Octagon, the tournament’s license-holder, decided to replace the Chennai Open with a maiden Tour-level event in Manila in the same window in 2027 to capitalise on World No. 20 Alexandra Eala. Mumbai has staged a WTA 125 for the last three seasons, and WTA 125 is a category of tournaments between the main WTA Tour and the ITF circuit.

The 72-year-old Amritraj told reporters on Tuesday, "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."

Amritraj said Chennai, which has a long history of hosting ATP and WTA tournaments, will be ready if a slot opens next year.

"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.

He also pointed to early-2027 scheduling in West Asia, warning that rising tensions in the region, which have already affected a few sports events recently, could further impact the tennis calendar.

Amritraj has had tentative dates blocked for the proposed January-February 2028 WTA 125s and said Chennai can be prepared with at least two weeks to secure funding should an opportunity to host a tournament arise.