WTA 250 confirmed for Chennai after three-year gap

CHENNAI: The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has confirmed that the Chennai Open will return to the international calendar as a WTA 250 event, scheduled to start on October 27. The tournament, to be held at the SDAT Tennis Stadium in Chennai, will feature a 32-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw on outdoor hard courts.

Chennai last hosted a WTA event in 2022, where Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova lifted the singles title. Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani claimed the doubles crown. The return of top-tier women's tennis to India is part of the WTA’s ongoing global expansion and follows a dynamic start to the season, which has already seen 20 different winners across WTA 250, 500, 1000, and Grand Slam tournaments.

Vijay Amritraj, President of the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA), welcomed the announcement, calling it a major milestone for Indian tennis. “Our efforts have finally borne fruit. Thanks to the strong support from the Government of Tamil Nadu and SDAT, we’re bringing back the highest-level international women’s tennis event in the country,” he said.

Among the many storylines building excitement for the event is the return of Germany’s Tatjana Maria to the WTA spotlight. A mother of two, Maria was part of the Chennai Open’s inaugural edition in 2022 and recently clinched the HSBC Championships title, her latest chapter in a remarkable career.