Ramanathan Krishnan, Vijay Amritraj, Anand Amritraj, Ashok Amritraj and Ramesh Krishnan: what do these tennis celebrities have in common? The five great talents who hailed from Chennai (the Amritraj siblings Vijay and Anand shifted their career midway to the United States while Ashok left the sport) grew up in the sport under the aegis of the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA) and brought glory to Indian tennis. Arguably, they were the country’s marquee talents at the international level. The credit does not end there: the TNTA also fostered the emergence of a few more men and talented women players, such as Lakshmi Mahadevan, Nirupama Vaidyanathan, Rushmi Chakravarthi, Sai Jayalakshmy and Amrita Balachander nee Ahluwalia.
With such a rich legacy over the decades, it is now celebration time for TNTA as it has reached its birth centenary. Talking to Madras Musings on the occasion, Vijay Amritraj, the present President of TNTA, sums up the development of tennis in Tamil Nadu, especially Chennai. “Hundred years is a long time and many people have worked with zeal and commitment to promote tennis in our state. For some good reason the people here also took to the game like fish to water,” Vijay observes.
He points out that Tamil Nadu has been in the forefront in the game of tennis, and in the last seven decades India’s Davis Cup campaign has been headed by players from Tamil Nadu. Reaching three Davis Cup finals is a phenomenal achievement for India. He further explains, “In terms of conducting tournaments over the years, the highest prize money in national or state events in different eras, and the highest ranking international tournaments in India, the Chennai Open for Men and Women, have all been organised by the TNTA with sponsorship support”.
On the occasion of the centenary of TNTA, Vijay also emphasises the importance of acknowledging the achievements of the young talent in the past as this would serve as inspiration to achieve more in the future.
To mark the occasion, Hiten Joshi, former player, coach and the current CEO of TNTA, traces the birth of TNTA and some of its development-oriented activities. “TNTA was born as the Madras Provincial Lawn Tennis Association in 1926. It is the centenary year of one of the most respected sports associations in the country. Affiliated with the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and the Tamil Nadu Olympic Association (TNOA), TNTA has done a great deal over the years. Tamil Nadu has been home to legendary players and famous tournaments and leagues.”
Presenting an overview of the activities held as part of TNTA’s centenary, Joshi said the ITF 25,000 dollars tourney for Men conducted in January was a runaway success. It was followed by an ATP Challenger 100 for Men, which attracted the participation of players from 20 countries. It was during this year that the prize money for the Sanmar TNTA league was doubled. An ITF Junior tournament for Under 18 was held in Madurai in March. Five centenary junior tournaments were conducted in Salem, Karur, Nagarcoil, Sivakasi, Tirunelveli and Trichy between May and June. In August, the National Junior Tennis Championship was organised at Madras Cricket Club, immediately followed by another ITF and Unifi ITF. The RWD league cum knockout event came close on the heels between August and September 2025. Joshi stated that Vijay Amritraj, the present TNTA President, had through his good offices, brought the WTA 250 event to Chennai. Now, the Chennai Open International Women’s Tennis Championships event is to be held at the SDATN Tennis Stadium in Nungambakkam, Chennai between October 27 and November 2, and a video and coffee table book are to be released.
“Hundred years is a milestone for any sports administrative body, and a very significant one, at that,” remarks Hiten Joshi. “Over the years, we have had the help of so many people in the TNTA who are so closely connected with tennis. TNTA owes its gratitude to the GOTN SDATN sponsors, players, parents, coaches and markers, who have all contributed to its glorious evolution and success.”
Expressing his elation upon TNTA reaching the centenary milestone, Ramesh Krishnan, son of the legendary Ramanathan Krishnan, recalls that it was from the 1950s that Chennai has had a good run of churning out talented tennis players.
TNTA Secretary, B. Venkatasubramanyam, who is busy with arrangements for the centenary celebration on October 27, is happy to share that TNTA is the only non profit organisation recognised by the Govt. of Tamil Nadu and the AITA, as TNTA is fully involved in working for the development of tennis in Tamil Nadu. He concludes with pride that “In the last 100 years local, national and international tournaments have been hosted, which is evident in the evolution of talents like the Krishnans and the Amritraj brothers who have brought glory to the country in the sport of tennis. We are fortunate to have Vijay Amritraj as the President in this centenary year. Our next level programme is to nurture young talent in the age group of 15 to 18 and help shape them become the future players of the country.”