The chances of India retaining its only ATP 250 tournament enhanced on Thursday with the Maharashtra government pledging its support to the premier tennis tournament for five more years. (More Cricket News)
South Asia's only ATP 250 event, owned by IMG, came to Pune in 2018 and became the Tata Open Maharashtra from Chennai Open.
The state government had committed to providing support for half a decade at that time and on Thursday it extended the support for a further five-year period.
"Maharastra will never allow this ATP 250 go anywhere, other than Maharashtra," Devendra Fadnavis said at the Balewadi stadium on the fourth day of the competition.
A request was made that from the next year onwards India should host ATP 500 event, in which the higher-ranked players compete, to which Fadnavis smiled.
The cost to host the ATP 250 tournament is no less than Rs 15 crore and the state government contributes a major chunk.
It remains to be seen if auto major Tata Motors, the title sponsor of the USD 713,495 event, continue to support the tennis tournament.
The officials of the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) are not yet sure if the arrangement will continue or not.
