Chennai, Tamil Nadu, June 20: The Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA) celebrated its 33rd Annual Day at the Madras Cricket Club, bringing together leading tennis personalities, players, officials, clubs, academies, and supporters to honour achievements and celebrate the growth of tennis in the state.
The function was attended by prominent members of the tennis fraternity and sports administration.
B. Venkatasubramanyam, Honorary Secretary, TNTA, welcomed the dignitaries and the tennis community. He expressed gratitude to sponsors, district associations, clubs, coaching academies, and tournament organisers for their continued contribution towards the development of tennis in Tamil Nadu.
Speaking on the occasion, he said, “We are immensely proud that our President has received the prestigious Padma Bhushan Award. It is a moment of great pride for Tamil Nadu tennis. On this occasion, Mr. K. R. Ganapathy, the senior-most tennis player and former Vice President of TNTA, honoured Vijay Amritraj.”
Vijay Amritraj, President, TNTA, highlighted Tamil Nadu’s achievement in successfully hosting India’s highest-ranked tennis event — the Chennai Open International Women’s Tennis Championship, a WTA 250 event, held last October. He thanked the Government of Tamil Nadu, the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT), sponsors, and all stakeholders for their support.
He also appreciated the progress of TNTA’s Next Level Program, which currently supports four boys and five girls. He specifically acknowledged the achievements of Diya Ramesh, who progressed from No. 800 to No. 140 in the world rankings and competed in the Australian Open Junior qualifying event. He also recognised Rethin Pranav for participating in junior events at three Grand Slams — Wimbledon, French Open, and US Open.
J. Meghanatha Reddy, IAS, Member Secretary, Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, spoke about SDAT’s initiatives and support schemes for athletes. He expressed confidence that the combined efforts of TNTA and the Government of Tamil Nadu would help players achieve greater success nationally and internationally, continuing Tamil Nadu’s strong legacy in tennis.
The awards ceremony was conducted by Vijay Amritraj and Meghanatha Reddy, who felicitated outstanding players for their performances at national and international levels.
N. Kumar, Chairman, Corporate Board, Sanmar Group; Vijay Sankar, Chairman, Sanmar Group; and Lakshmi Mahadevan presented the league championship prizes.
TNTA Awards 2026
The TNTA Awards recognised young talent, national champions, international representatives, and players who have brought laurels to Tamil Nadu.
The President Award for the Most Promising Youngster was awarded to:
- Jegan Rohit
- Roshan Naveen Kumar
- Tanusshri Sathesh
- Adithi Brahadeeswaran
The Justice P.S. Kailasam Memorial Awards honoured outstanding performances at Junior Nationals, including achievements by:
- Deepthi Venkatesan
- Deepshika Vinayagamurthy
- Sanmitha Harini Lokesh
- Savitha Bhuvaneswaran
- Rohith Hari Balaji
- Diya Ramesh
National Championship performers recognised included:
- Manish Suresh Kumar – Men’s Singles Winner
- Keerthivasan Suresh – Men’s Singles Runner-up
- Prithvi Shekar – Australian Open Deaf & Hard Hearing Championship Men’s Singles Winner and Men’s Doubles Runner-up
Wheelchair Tennis Championship awardees included:
- Balachandar Subramanian
- K. Karthik
- Mariappan D
Players representing India in Davis Cup, Fed Cup, junior international events, and wheelchair competitions were also honoured, including:
- N. Sriram Balaji
- Dhakshineswar Suresh
- Karthik Karunakaran
Special awards were presented to:
- Diya Ramesh – Nagamani Mahadevan Award
- Rohith Hari Balaji – Muthukrishnan Memorial Award
- Dhakshineswar Suresh – T. K. Ramanathan Award
The total prize money distributed under the TNTA Awards 2026 was ₹6.90 lakh.
33rd SANMAR–TNTA Chennai City Club Tennis League Championship 2025–26
The Annual Day also celebrated winners of the 33rd SANMAR–TNTA Chennai City Club Tennis League Championship 2025–26 across veteran and regular categories.
Among the notable winners were:
- Madras Gymkhana Club – Veterans +60 Champions
- Besant Nagar Club, Madras Club, Indira Nagar Sports Club, YMCA, IIT Madras, and other leading clubs across various league zones
- Madras Cricket Club “A” – Regular Zone A Champions
The league winners and runners-up were presented cash prizes in recognition of their performances.
The 33rd Annual Day reaffirmed TNTA’s commitment towards nurturing young talent, strengthening competitive tennis, and continuing Tamil Nadu’s proud tradition as one of India’s leading tennis hubs.