Vijay
Amritraj

TENNIS' GLOBAL CITIZEN

No one in tennis history has had a career quite like Vijay Amritraj – a seamless journey that involved tennis courts, diplomatic missions, political statements, television studios, and movie sets. With Amritraj’s trailblazing career, it is fitting that, Amritraj has become the first Asian man to earn induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in the Contributor category. Additionally, alongside fellow Class of 2024 inductee Leander Paes, the two are the first inducted from India.

EARLY LIFE LESSONS

Amritraj’s sickly childhood led him to have an exceptional capacity for empathy and charity work. He was born on December 14, 1953, in Madras, India and spent much of his early years in bed. According to Amritraj, “I think it really probably started in my head when I was 6, 7, 8 years old of being unhealthy as a child growing up and spending quite a bit of time in and out of hospital and my mother [Maggie] sitting next to me on the side of the bed and having an IV in me and not being able to go to school on a regular basis and mom going to school and sitting in class and taking notes and teaching me in the hospital and all of that.”

However, while growing up and reaching adulthood, Amritraj overcame these health problems and became a mainstay on the men’s tour in the 1970s. In ATP action, Amritraj beat many top players, including Hall of Famers, Rod Laver, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, and John McEnroe. Reaching a career high world ranking of 18 in 1980, Amritraj won 15 singles and 13 doubles titles. Of his singles triumphs, three came on the grounds of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, in Newport, Rhode Island, a hat trick of victories earned in 1976, 1980, and 1984. Additionally, from 1989-93, Amritraj served as president of the ATP and as a board member 1991-97.

A PROUD COUNTRYMAN

When it came to what he did on the tennis court, Amritraj was most proud of his lengthy commitment to India. Between 1970 and 1988, Amritraj competed in Davis Cup ties, compiling a match record of 45-28 (27-18 in singles, 18-10 in doubles). Many of those doubles' victories came alongside his older brother, Anand (the youngest Amritraj brother, Ashok, also became a pro).

However, a notable achievement in his Davis Cup career came when Amritraj led India to the Davis Cup final in 1974. It had been a tough journey, India along the way beating the holder, Australia. India was set to face South Africa in the final, each nation eager to earn the title for the first time. But at that point in history, the Indian government, in protest of South Africa’s harsh apartheid regime, would not allow any of its sport teams to compete versus South African squads. “And by a long shot,” recalls Amritraj, “it was the right human decision to make.”

Thirteen years later, faced with a similar government policy that mandated India default a Davis Cup quarterfinal versus Israel, Amritraj successfully convinced Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi that permitting the match to proceed would greatly aid Indian-Israeli relations. Gandhi agreed. India won, and once again advanced to the final, where it was beaten by a Swedish squad led by Hall of Famer Mats Wilander.

As his negotiations with Prime Minister Gandhi demonstrated, Amritraj had strong communications skills. This made him a TV natural. In 1992, Amritraj began to work as a broadcaster at the four majors for Prime Sports. By the mid-1990s, broadcasts featuring Amritraj were seen throughout nearly all of Asia, spanning the Middle East, India, and many other nations. Through Amritraj’s commentary, hundreds of millions were exposed to tennis for the first time.

THE SILVER SCREEN

TV broadcaster was not the first role Amritraj had in front of a camera. As an actor, Amritraj performed in numerous TV shows and feature films, including two of the most iconic franchises in cinematic history. In 1983, Amritraj was featured in the James Bond film, Octopussy. Three years later, he appeared in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

A WORLD AMBASSADOR

An extraordinarily special moment for Amritraj came in 2001, when he was appointed a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Working alongside a variety of notables from the worlds of arts, politics, medicine, and other disciplines, Amritraj devoted himself to raising awareness on matters related to HIV/AIDS and drugs. He remains the only tennis player to have received this honor. Five years later, he created the Vijay Amritraj Foundation, seeking to assist victims of tragedy and disease.

In recognition of his philanthropic efforts, Amritraj in 2021 received the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Golden Achievement Award, presented to a person who has made an important contribution to the sports in such fields as administration, promotion, or education. “As a player, humanitarian, and ambassador,” said former ITHF CEO Todd Martin, “Vijay has put his passion for tennis and people into action to make a difference in growing the sport and helping those in need.” 

Amritraj is a tennis player who has captured the world, often with his racquet, in other ways with his compassion.