EXCLUSIVE: Tennis Hall of Famer Vijay Amritraj Free-Hearted Talk About His Upcoming Documentary, the G.O.A.T. Debate, Serena Williams’ Comeback, and About the Next Gen

Former Indian tennis player, Vijay Amritraj, has been a trailblazer for tennis in India. He has inspired many Indian or Asian tennis players to pick up the racket and represent their country on the world stage, like the Davis Cup or Grand Slam tournaments.

In the 70s and 80s, he played some top players on the tour, like John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, and many others. Additionally, he beat them in their primes as well.

The former Indian player reached a career high-18 in the ATP rankings back in 1980, winning 15 singles titles and 13 doubles titles in his career. The 68-year-old currently works as a commentator for various TV channels and recently covered the Wimbledon Championships. He has been doing commentary for a very long time and fans have become really fond of his voice during matches.

Apart from being a tennis player and commentator, he has also acted in various movies, including the 007 (James Bond) films. To shine a light on his legacy, Kapil Mahendra and Paul Beahan of Calabasas Films & Media are producing the first official documentary about Vijay and his journey. The documentary will cover various facets of Vijay’s life including his childhood in India, his emergence as one of the greatest players of the 1970s, and his impact on society beyond sports from his acting career to fighting injustice. It is set to be directed by Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Sami Khan and Vijay’s son, Prakash Amritraj, who is also a TV host, and will reportedly work as co-producer.

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Before the release of his documentary, Vijay Amritraj had an exclusive chat with EssentiallySports’ Vivek Devane and spoke about his new documentary, working in movies, Serena Williams, and the Goat debate.

Let me start off by congratulating you on receiving the Golden Achievement award recently in London. How were you feeling at that time and what were the emotions running through you when you received that award?

Needless to say, it is very special to receive something like this, first and foremost. As I said in my speech there that I received it as an Indian… The first Indian to receive it. So to me, it just given this accolade to all of country, men, and women, all of the athletes who play for India. I think it’s a very special feeling to receive it for services to the game and for my duration of how long I’ve kind of been at this. But most important of all is the support that I’ve received over the years from Indians in India, Indians overseas, in the different countries that I’ve played in. So, I always accept these things, which is very very special on behalf of all Indians who have done that and literally put me in an elevated position because of that. 

 You’ve been in commentary for quite a few years right now. So how are you enjoying that part of your phase in your career right now?

I think the commentary and presentation on television, which I started way back in 1991-92, has been a real eye-opener for me because it was the first thing that I did was the Grand Slam events right after my tennis career. It gave me the opportunity to see the sport both from a viewer’s perspective and from a player’s perspective. It was really a good challenge to actually present the sport. One, to the viewer, who understands and knows tennis very well and he or she plays the game. And others who might not understand the game well enough and trying to bring them into the sport. So, it was a wonderful challenge to be able to accommodate both audiences and, at the same time, enjoy what I was doing.  

Other than commenting, of course, you have kept yourself very busy after retirement. You have gone into multiple movies and you have gone into multiple TV series and, of course, now you are planning to launch your own documentary as well. How did that come into the picture? 

I think the movie part of it came very suddenly, to be honest. I was playing at the Centre Court at Wimbledon when the producers of the Bond pictures, the late great Cubby Broccoli, was watching the match with his daughter and they approached me after that. Apparently, they looked at several Indians for that particular role they were looking for and eventually offered me a screen test to be able to do it in Pinewood Studios. So, with the director, John Glen and I’ve never done something like that before. I basically did it because I figured you know who could say they worked at Pinewood Studios and played at Wimbledon? It was a wonderful opportunity for me to challenge myself to something else. 

After I did the screen test with the great American actor James Brolin for that particular screen test with the director John Glen, they offered me the part. And got me on for 14 weeks and something to that effect and we were to shoot 10-11 weeks in the UK and three weeks in India. It was just the most magnificent experience one could possibly imagine what goes into not just making a film, but making a Bond film and how each of these things are so intricately managed by the production team and the end result is a spectacular film that the world enjoys. 

How challenging was your acting role and how difficult was it when you compare it to tennis? 

It was a challenge because it was new and how things are positioned. Where the camera is, who are you talking to and where is the person you are acting with, how good is the lighting on parts of your face or on yourself, and how are they doing that? You need to understand all aspects of it before you can actually deliver the line and what the director is expecting and what he wants according to the character. So, I think that way it was a tremendous challenge, but it was a spectacular learning curve for me because I was working with the most professional team in the business. The crew was spectacular; the director was terrific and of course, the star I was working with, Roger Moore, was a very very special man, and not only was he a fun guy to be around, he was a spectacular gentleman.

He helped me through a lot of situations, and we got along very well. So, the rapport between him and me, I think, also came out very well on screen. Overall, it was a spectacular experience because it taught me more about how movies were made and what goes into it. Very different from playing tennis because tennis is very straightforward. You play well, you win; you play badly, you lose, and that’s it. And you know there are only two people playing and you are done. But here, there’s so many peripherals that are involved to make the scene look good. 

You left your house with barely 3.5 pounds in your pocket and you had a lot of challenges. You had a lot of health issues as well. What would you term as the most challenging thing in your tennis career? Was it the physical aspect of it? Was it the mental aspect of it? 

The first one would have to be the health issues because it started at a young age. The tennis part of it came into play to be able to overcome my health issue. That was the reason tennis came into the forefront. Eventually, after the discipline and the sacrifices that was made by my parents, especially mom, everything that went into it was magnified 10 times over to be able to help me play tennis to get over my health issues so that I could go to school, I could do normal things that kids were expected to do. But strangely enough, tennis became very much part of my DNA from a young age. I got good fairly quickly.

Before my 14th birthday, I ended up winning a major college tournament and then you ended up winning another college tournament. Eventually, traveled abroad to Asia, Malaysia to play the Junior Asian Championships even when I was still 13 and a half. It was for under-18 players. Then eventually, my first UK trip was at 15, my first USA trip was at about 18. So, everything happened fairly quickly, and I became no.1 in India by the time I was 18. By 19, I ended up being on the world stage and beating the player at the US Open and beating all the following year at the US Open and so on. So a lot of things happened right after that, but it was health was the first thing to overcome bad health.

Did you look up to any people who helped you in this journey of yours initially in your career? Because it seemed like a difficult part to choose with the physical conditions that you had?

I didn’t actually choose the path myself. You know, I mean, it was suggested by the doctors in the hospital and my parents were the sport of choice was tennis. They both played tennis, especially my mom. Dad started playing tennis after he married her and they became very, very fond of the game, and the mother’s side of the family always loved the game Anand was already playing tennis, my older brother. And so I think that was very much a part of the DNA of the family. So when this was said to my parents, then, you know, my mother took it upon herself to make sure that I could be given everything and not left behind because of health issues. And so that’s the way it got it got started. And then all of a sudden, it took its own pose as I started to get better and better.

You’ve also got your own foundation that you’ve started, The Vijay Amritraj Foundation. Was that an inspiration because of the struggles that you had faced in your initial part of the career?

Oh, no question. I think the issue of having grown up with health conditions and health issues, but having the support of parents like I’ve had are the ones that made the difference. And unfortunately, not everyone is blessed with those kinds of parents. And often enough, there are children around the world who are either left behind, not loved, orphans, not having access to all of the basics. So I was hoping that at some point, if I ever get good enough at something, and I was able to serve the community, whether it’s one family or five families or 5000 families is not as important as but as doing something that can make a difference to the lives of families that might not have had the kind of help and support and parents that I had. And so having served the United Nations for nearly seven years, as a messenger of peace, once my term ended, then I went on to start this foundation in the US to be able to help charities on the ground in India.

Of course, got your documentary coming in as well, which I think focuses on that aspect of your life as well. It’s of course, well, you know, it’s been directed by an Oscar-nominated director, Sami Khan. And how has that been shaping up? Could you give us more details about your documentary that’s upcoming right now?

I think the first issue was the fact that something was going to be made about me and my story. And when I wrote a book, my only book, that I’ve written an autobiography, way back in 1990 when it was released, it was meant to really targeted towards young children and to make sure that they can also believe that the impossible can happen and to be able to dream big, and with work and, and the right kind of ethics, and the kind of support that I’ve had, you know, you can be what you really, you know, dream to be. And so I hope that this, this film, this documentary can tell a story that it’s possible to, to do what you want to do what you want to achieve, and, and where you want to get to, without losing the train of thought as to where you came from.

And I think that is a critical element of any bit of my story. The way I’ve been very fortunate to have, as I always said, the kind of parents that have had to give me the opportunity to do all of this, that I never, never, ever dreamed would be real. And today having had a tennis career that was very fruitful for a very long duration of time, to have played Davis Cup for India for 20 years, to have done a Bond picture and Star Trek Motion Picture, and to have a Television series of my own in the United States. To have been on talk shows around the world, and so on so forth. These are not things that you can possibly imagine when you’re 5,6,7 years old and not in the peak of health. So the impossible can happen with the kind of help and support that I’ve had.

Talking about the impossible. Of course, you went on to have a phenomenal tennis career as well. I mean, you made the grandest stages of all; you beat the biggest players in their prime. You were, of course, within the part of the ABC. Basically, if you remember the Connors, Borg, and Amritraj. So, which was your fondest victory of all? You’ve, of course, beaten the top players in their primes you have called beaten Connors multiple times as well. So, which was your fondest memory of all of them?

I think you always pick the early ones because they resonate better for you at the time when you are nobody in and you suddenly playing on the center court at the US Open against someone like Rod Laver, your idol, the greatest of all time, and the only man to win two official grand slams. And on national television in the US, first Indian, to be honest, and across the entire country on CBS, and a long match in front of 18,000 people who didn’t know who I was. And then to come through in those kinds of situations, and you end up winning in five sets. It’s what put not just me on the map, but I think it put Indians on the map worldwide. And that made a huge difference, to one, the way I believed in what needs to be done, and two, to be able to get even better to be able to compete against the best, which I was fortunate enough to do thereafter for many years. But certainly, that one stands out because it was I was 19 years old when that happened. And then the next year, I went on to beat Borg as well at the US Open, and then played numerous great matches at Wimbledon. And, and, and the other main others as well. So I think the important aspect here is that when you do something and are the first to do it when there is an original aspect to it, it kind of stands out more in your mind, and resonates more with the people.

No one has even come close to performing as well as you’ve done in singles. Of course, we’ve had doubles successes with multiple names. Even Sania Mirza, I think right now is on her last year of the tour, what do you think has been lacking in terms of Indians in the singles game, because they’ve had a fair amount of success in terms of doubles, but nobody has even come close to anything big in a while, since you’ve graced the court. So what has been lacking in terms of Indian tennis, and when it comes to singles?

I think there are a variety of things that need to come into place. In the old days, it used to be lack of facilities, it used to be lack of sponsorship, lack of television, lack of local government support, lack of coaching, and a whole slew of stuff that we didn’t have when we were coming up. And, and especially in the late 60s, early 70s, and so on. Plus, our physical attributes were always we were smaller in stature, and we were competing with guys who are bigger, stronger, and better physically, overseas. This is, by the way, across all of Asia, not necessarily only India. So, but now that’s not the case. Now, the boys who I know across India were playing Davis Cup for us and, and also, traveling the world playing challenger tournaments and stuff, they are all in my height, they’re big, very big boys they’re strong physically, they serve big, they have tremendous support from different parts of the country, sponsorships are available, facilities are there, they’re going abroad constantly.

You are, you can train in Spain, you can train in Florida, you can train in the hotspots of the world. And so it really now comes down to a very, very strong commitment from the individual themselves, to be able to risk everything and the kitchen sink, to make sure that you can hit that gold standard and compete at the highest levels of the ATP tour and the WTA Tour. And put us back in the Davis Cup and the Fed Cup where we belong. We haven’t been able to get back into those top 16 teams or 18 teams for quite a while. And I think that’s the disappointing factor. Because in the past, we used to be the best team in Asia. And now you know, we struggle to be in the top four.

Of course, we’ve got big names from India as well. Which one of the names has impressed you the most you know, has it been Sumit Nagal, who of course took a set away from Federer at that US Open as well? You’ve got Yuki Bhambri. you’ve got Somdev, of course, who is retired right now, but has any one of these names impressed you in recent times? 

It’s hard to put your finger on it because it’s important to when you say you’re impressed with someone, you need to be able to show some kind of strong performance on tour on the ATP tour of beating top players or having the three or four good wins over a 12-month period. You know, moving up the ladder on a regular basis, you know in rankings. You know, you see a lot of guys you’ve never heard of today who have in 12-18 months; they move from 400 to 150 to 75. And then the next thing they are in the top 20. And, and the work continues to increase more and more because you’re playing better and better players. So I think those things are important to be able to judge someone’s improvement, rather than, you know, staying back in the hundreds and two hundreds and three hundreds and then trying to perform constantly but not getting past the top 50 to be able to give us a chance in the Davis Cup.

Of course, even right now it’s been Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, winning the biggest tournaments. You are there at the Wimbledon this year as well. You saw Novak Djokovic triumph again, after almost one year of draught in terms of Slams. What did you think of his performance? And, you know the numbers that have increased, and he’s gotten close to Rafa and what do you what did you think about his performance there? 

Well, obviously nothing short of outstanding. He’s always been one of the toughest ever players we’ve ever seen mentally. And I think the fact that what happened to him in Australia, and he had to come back and then start playing tournaments. So yeah, he was lack of match practice by the time he even got to the French. And the way he performed at the French itself was admirable, losing to Nadal, and in a tight four-set match. And I think he worked even harder by the time he got to the grass at Wimbledon, to be able to give himself enough full practice and matches to be able to do what he did. But the interesting thing was just when things got difficult against someone like a Jannik Sinner, in the fifth set, being down 2-0, it looked like he was down and out. And that’s when he started to get better and better and better. Jannick Sinner is certainly the future of men’s tennis, no question about it.

Shapovalov, Sinner, Alcaraz, Kyrgios, all these guys are knocking on the doors of the top names, but still at the end of the day, as we’ve seen three grand slams over with, the same two names that keep coming up after the grand slams. So it’s going to be interesting to see the US Open because, at the moment, Djokovic cannot play. And it’s going to be interesting to see if Nadal is going to be fit enough and strong enough to play and well-healed from the stomach injury as well from that quarter-final. So we’ll wait and see also with Federer plans to make a comeback and thinks he can come back and play on the hardcourts at the US Open. But we’re still waiting for that all-important, outsider or a challenger to pick up a grand slam this year. 

We’ve had a new champion this year as well, with Rybakina. And we’ve seen multiple different champions. In the past couple of years, of course, there has been a little bit of domination and consistency shown by Ash Barty and Iga Swiatek. But, at the same time, we have seen multiple champions at the Grand Slam level. So what do you think has been the difference there? Because has it been just the mental side where Rafa and Djokovic have been really, you know, pushing themselves, or has it been something different that is happening on the WTA side right now?

I think what’s so interesting about the WTA tour is the fact that we are seeing new players; we are seeing new champions; we are seeing new challenges coming along. We are seeing two new players we probably have never seen before playing great matches against one another. These two played a fantastic final at Wimbledon this year. Yes, Ons looked like she was the favorite coming into the match, obviously, to win. But, at the end of the day, the unheralded Rybakina who had seeded 17, coming into the final just played absolutely freely, you know, and the nerves didn’t get a hold of her even towards the very end of the match.

So I think when you look at the variety of players playing, even the way she beat Halep along the way, made a very big difference. So I think as we see more and more of these girls all bunching up at the top. It’s really exciting to watch it because you don’t know which two are actually going to get into the final. Whereas in men’s tennis, it’s still being at the end of the day. It’s been these two, three guys who have actually been able to win the Majors. But I think that we have reached that precipice as far as Men’s Tennis is concerned. So on the one side, we are seeing the favorites win and on the other side, we’re seeing the challengers fight it out at every weekend.

You spoke about Sinner; you spoke about Felix, who do you think is because, of course, the kind of buzz that Alcaraz has generated this year by winning the couple of Masters, under his belt. And of course, he’s reached the quarterfinals as well. Who do you think is the closest right now to get to that dream state of you know, competing, of course, Kyrgios? It’s not probably his forte to compete at that kind of level consistently. But yeah, Alcaraz, Felix, like you said, so who do you think has got the potential right now to, you know, knock on the doors?

I think there are lots of guys who are looking to win a slam from, you know, Tsitsipas to Shapovalov to Kyrgios, to Felix to Sinner. But I think Alcaraz is still kind of the front runner in that group, to by maybe by a short nose for the simply because it seems like he’s a bit more of a complete player, if you look at him, he’s able to show variety, he’s able to show the lobs, he should be able to show a very powerful forehand, he’s able to attack well, he moves forward. There’s nothing wrong with his volleys. He’s mentally very strong. And he also for not a very, very big guy, he looks physically strong. So he looks like he can go the distance.

So I think when you take all of these things in consideration, he might be that slight front runner with the nose in front, but all of these guys right there have to survive injuries. When you come out with an injury, it takes you a while to get back into it. Berrettini and Zverev, all these guys who have been recently injured or sick, will have a, you know, little bit of more of a learning curve to get to the US Open in peak form. So by the time Cincinnati and Toronto and these events, conclude, I think we’ll have a better shot at who’s going to get the US Open.

Another exciting name that we’re looking forward to seeing is Serena Williams, who, of course, returned after such a long time to Wimbledon. Of course, she had a very exciting match first-round match that she went down. What did you think of her return? Can she really come back and compete at that kind of level right now after such a long hiatus? And of course, with motherhood and all of the other priorities that have come into her life… of course, US Open being her home tournament. Do you really think there’s a chance for her to this time, you know, perform a little bit better?

Yes, I mean when you have someone as great as Serena Williams come on court, the whole match revolves around only how Serena Williams plays. It has very little to do with the opponent. Yes, the opponent needs to be strong and firm and mentally tough and all of it and not get blown off the court because Serena can do that to anybody… Coming back after a long layoff is never easy. Even for a great champion like Serena Williams, you need some matches under her belt- that’s an important aspect. 

The second thing is, of course, the physical ability. Does she feel fit enough to win seven matches on a hard court in the US? That’s not easy and it can get very hot and muggy in Queens when the matches are on. That’s a very hot month in the beginning of September. Thirdly, does she have still the mental fortitude to keep herself so closeted for the seven matches now, which she hasn’t done in a while? But only because it’s Serena Williams, you can’t bet against her. But I think if she’s physically well enough to play seven matches, or physically well enough to move about the court freely with the completely injury free. I think you know, you would never bet against her.

In one of the recent interviews, Andy Murray had given, and he had said that it was really unfortunate that he played in an era where All these big three players were there and he said, I would have liked to play in an era where these three wouldn’t have existed. So I’d like to ask you a question on a personal level. Would you have liked to have played in this era? Just to enjoy the kind of level of tennis that is going on right now with the Big Three. Or would you have preferred to play in the Jimmy Connors and Bjorn Borg and the McEnroe era?

Well, I’ve always said that I’ve been very fortunate to have played in the era that I did. McEnroe, Borg, and Connors were arguably three of the best that’ve ever played the game, they were all three different personalities, they all three brought different aspects of tennis to the tennis match, and three different kinds of personalities as well, when they played. The game at the time in the 70s was always on network television worldwide. It had an overwhelming audience that watched matches, even when these three guys are not playing because there were numerous guys like myself, Dick Stockton, Raul Ramirez, Brian Gottfried, Roscoe Tanner, Peter McNamara, you know, all of us who brought a lot to the game, besides the three top names of my generation.

I think when I look at the three of them, and what they’ve achieved and matches that I’ve had against them, I was very grateful that I played during that era. Now watching these three guys playing itself is magic. Because to think that between the three of them, you know, they could have 63 Majors is not just unimaginable, but quite, honestly, quite unbelievable. So you’re looking at three guys, who could have been the greatest of their generations had they played at different times and different eras. But to have played against these three guys would have also been quite spectacular, because you would have to raise your game to that level, and consistently worked against them, if you had any chance of wins. So I think Murray’s game was pushed to the limit, because these three guys pushed him to the limit. And that’s why he got better. That’s why he won the three Majors. That’s why he won the Olympic golds. That’s why he was pushed to a point where he had to be better than he could have been in any other era.

But do you think Murray as well, you know, after the hip replacement, he has not really made any big waves in tennis as well. And he was, of course, expecting a lot this year, you know, with the home support and coming back to Wimbledon with some kind of hope? Do you really think he has it within him to win a big title in the near future?

Yes, and no, I think winning seven matches over five sets is a lot more difficult than winning a tournament around the world on the tour, because that could potentially be five matches over a week period, which I think Andy’s capable of doing. Whereas in women’s tennis, you know, someone like Serena Williams can come back, though it’s seven matches, it’s still two or three sets. So she could get enough of a reprieve if she doesn’t have long matches. In the five-set matches, like Djokovic had against Sinner or Nadal had against Taylor Fritz mean, those kinds of matches, can, literally throw you under the gun, you know, and it’s very difficult to if you have any kind of injury or recovering from surgery and things like that, and they come out of the situation. So it’s hard both ways for both for the boys and girls, men and women rather. But at the end of the day, Murray winning a Grand Slam at this point is a little bit of a tall order.

Who do you think right now is the greatest player? Of course, there’s a lot of talk about the G.O.A.T. debate. And I just wanted to ask you on that question, because you of course played against some of the greatest players, and now you’re watching them live as well. Who do you think right now is the biggest name in tennis? And who would you call the G.O.A.T.?

It’s always hard to compare generational greatness. Because ever since Roger Bannister ran the mile under four minutes, you know, there have been several people have done it after that. It doesn’t make them worse. That just makes him even greater because he did it in the time that he did it. Similarly, when you look back at (Rod) Laver when he won the Grand Slam in 62 as an amateur, and then came back and won it again, as a professional in 69, he became the only man in history to win the Grand Slam twice. And since then nobody has won, the closest that one has ever come is Djokovic, which, you know, when he lost in the final of US open the last match, you know, he won 27 out of 28 matches.

So I think when you look at all of the results, you will have to just go back and check the boxes and say, Laver was the best in his generation. And had he played in any generation, he could have been the best. And Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, playing in the same generation, could have also been the greatest had they played in the 60s and 70s. So I think it’s a hard comparison to make when you when you look back at great athletes over a period of time. But at the end of the day, the greatness is in the way you’re able to perform at that particular moment in time. So in that moment in time, as we see, these three guys performed today is unimaginable, as it was when Laver won the Grand Slam in 69.

Do you have any advice to give to the budding Indian players right now? Of course, you said the physicality right now isn’t the problem. And probably it’s the commitment or the mental thing, mental fortitude. Are there a couple of things you would like to say to the Indian players right now?

I think someone who wants to really give this a shot, especially as a youngster, I think you should take it one step at a time. Whether you’re playing the juniors first and then target American college tennis, I think American college tennis does a world of good for someone who wants to make the professional tour. So if you get good enough in the juniors and you’re able to win major junior championships, you then automatically play some of the senior events. But you will get very good opportunities to play for colleges in the United States. And those division-1 colleges gave you an incredible experience to prepare for the tour. So depending on how good you get, post your first year in college, second year in college, then you can take off and actually go and play the tour for a few years or complete college and then go on and play. I think college tennis is a tremendous springboard for pro tennis.

A quick question, do you have a name for your documentary that’s coming up? Or do you want to keep it a secret?

I don’t actually know how they’re doing it. And the director is in command. The producers put their heads together with the director and they are literally quarterbacking the whole thing. And so as long as they want me in it. And otherwise, the more important thing is to tell the story that will encourage youngsters and young parents to believe that the impossible can be achieved.

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