Kolkata: The future seems gloomy for the next edition of the ATP Chennai Open. Owned by IMG and organised by IMG-Reliance, the event might not be held in 2018, sources reveal.
The Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA) had renewed the contract for organizing the tournament for another three years beginning from 2015 but the organisers declined to speak on this. Chennai has been the host of this competition for the past 21 years but now, it may move to Maharashtra after the sports department of the state government issued a Government Resolution (circular) which states that Pune is ready to bid for the Annual ATP 250 event which is to be held in 2018.
The circular read, “Since the ATP 250 will not be held in Chennai now, Maharashtra Lawn Tennis Association has suggested that this prestigious tournament can be held in Pune.” This development was later confirmed by Rajendra Pawar, Deputy Secretary, School Education and Sports of the Government of Maharashtra.
The Maharashtra Government is also expected to back the bid of the tournament, which would cost ₹20 crore.
But a thing to be kept in mind is that it is on the IMG to decide the host city of the tournament. The decision would be made within this week.
The Chennai Open is the only tournament conducted in South Asia by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). The first edition of the tournament called the McDowell Open, was held in Delhi in 1996, but in the following year, it was moved to Chennai.