One of the most recognized voices on television, Vijay Amritraj may be best known to the young generation as the popular commentator on Star Sports for tennis. But back in the day, he was a successful tennis player. Born on December 14, 1953, Amritraj made a name for himself at the age of 20 when he reached the quarter finals of 2 Grand Slams. A natural grass-court player, he made the round of eight twice at Wimbledon. At the US Open, he beat Rod Laver and Björn Borg, legends themselves, in ’73 and ’74 respectively to reach the quarters. He has also tasted success as a doubles player, partnering with his brother Anand and reaching the semi-final of Wimbledon. In July 1980 he was ranked his career best number 16.
Amritraj was also captain of the Davis Cup team for India, and was instrumental in the team’s success, helping it reach the finals twice. He has had tremendous success against top ranked players, a feat including many others that were the reason for him being awarded the Padma Shri in 1983.
Having retired in 1993, he occasionally plays tennis and entered the finals of the 2008 Wimbledon Senior Invitational doubles tournament. He has also founded “The Vijay Amritraj Foundation, whose mission is to bring hope, help and healing to the defenseless and innocent victims of disease, tragedy and circumstance in India.
