‘News came on my birthday, it was a wonderful gift’: Vijay Amritraj on his name being added to Tennis Hall of Fame

He added, “We have never had anyone from our part of the world in this category before or even someone in our contact and we have numerous people across Asia who have given so much to the sport. It is a recognition that will put India once again on the global map.”

Amritraj also recalled the Davis Cups of 1974 and 1987, where the teams, which included Amritraj, had reached the finals.

India had forfeited the 1974 cup, refusing to play South Africa in the finals, objecting to the apartheid regime of the time. He said, “We felt that we could have won…though one feels disappointed as a player, as humans we did the right thing.”

He also opined that great changes in tennis had begun around the time he had started to play, as funding became available for matches and tournaments.

Among other anecdotes shared by Amritraj were the tale of how he brought a Volvo car, received as a prize in a 1973 US Tournament back to India, navigating the red tape of the time, and the time he worked with Roger Moore when he starred in the James Bond film Octopussy.

He also recalled that he was the one who gave German tennis star Boris Becker the nickname “Boom Boom Becker”, based on the young Becker’s powerful strikes during a practice session.

Speaking on the current state of the sport in India, he said, “Incredibly, all of India doesn’t have a tour event. This is not for lack of want. Chennai, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune all want one…India is economically strong enough to host two or three events, to have the ATP or WTA swing through India.”