Anand Amritraj was the eldest of the three Amritraj brothers from Madras and, with his younger brother Vijay, one half of the best doubles team India produced in the 1970s. Together they reached the Wimbledon doubles semi-finals in 1976 and led India to the 1974 Davis Cup final. Decades later he returned to the Davis Cup as India’s non-playing captain, taking the team to three World Group play-off ties in a row.
Name: Anand Amritraj Born: 20 March 1951, Madras (now Chennai) | Sport: Tennis | Event: Doubles and singles
The eldest of three brothers
Anand grew up in Madras with his younger brothers Vijay and Ashok, all three of whom played tennis seriously. Anand and Vijay both made it onto the international circuit, and their doubles partnership, together with their Davis Cup service, made the family name central to Indian tennis through the 1970s and 1980s.
Singles career
As a singles player Anand reached a career-high ranking of No. 74 on 6 November 1974. His best Grand Slam singles run came at the US Open in 1974, when he reached the third round. He also played the main draw at Wimbledon, reaching the second round in 1973, 1977 and 1978, and at the French Open on several occasions. Singles was never his main strength, but he was a regular in Grand Slam draws through most of the 1970s.
Doubles with Vijay
Doubles was where Anand made his name. He won 12 tour doubles titles, at least eight of them with Vijay, and reached a career-high doubles ranking of No. 80 in January 1984. The brothers’ best Grand Slam result came at Wimbledon in 1976, when they reached the semi-finals. They were also quarter-finalists at the US Open in 1973 and 1976, and Anand reached the third round of the French Open doubles in 1979.
The 1974 Davis Cup final
The Amritraj brothers were the core of the India team that reached the Davis Cup final in 1974. The final, against South Africa, never took place. The Indian government decided that the team would not play South Africa because of that country’s apartheid policy, and India forfeited the final. It remains one of the most unusual episodes in the history of the competition, and it cost the brothers their best chance of a Davis Cup title. Anand was also part of the India squad, captained by Vijay, that reached the final again in 1987, losing to Sweden.
Davis Cup captain
In September 2013 Anand was appointed India’s non-playing Davis Cup captain, replacing Shiv Prakash Misra after several of the country’s leading players had protested against Misra’s captaincy. Under him India reached the World Group play-offs three years running: against Serbia in 2014, the Czech Republic in 2015 and Spain in 2016. India lost each of those ties, but reaching the play-off round three times in succession showed the team was competitive just below the World Group.
His contract ran until the end of 2016, and his last tie in charge was India’s Asia/Oceania Group I tie against New Zealand in Pune in February 2017. Mahesh Bhupathi succeeded him as captain.
His spell in charge covered a period of change in the Indian team, with senior doubles players such as Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna playing alongside a new group of singles players. Holding India’s place near the top of the Asia/Oceania zone for three seasons, and earning a home play-off against Spain in 2016, was a solid return for a captain appointed in difficult circumstances.
Business and family
Away from tennis Anand became a businessman. The Amritraj name has stayed prominent in Indian tennis, and the family has remained closely tied to the game long after the brothers stopped playing. Anand’s contribution is easy to overlook beside his famous brother, but the 1974 and 1987 finals and his years as captain place him firmly among the major figures of Indian tennis.
Career record and honours
- Career-high singles ranking: No. 74 (6 November 1974)
- Career-high doubles ranking: No. 80 (January 1984)
- 12 tour doubles titles, most of them with Vijay Amritraj
- Wimbledon men’s doubles semi-finalist: 1976 (with Vijay Amritraj)
- US Open men’s doubles quarter-finalist: 1973 and 1976
- US Open singles third round: 1974
- Davis Cup finalist with India: 1974 (final forfeited) and 1987
- India Davis Cup captain: 2013-2017
- Led India to World Group play-offs in 2014, 2015 and 2016