You’ve probably seen him on TV, the tall, impossibly elegant man with the smooth-as-silk voice commentating on a Wimbledon final. Or maybe you caught a late-night rerun of Octopussy and did a double-take when you saw a tennis pro fighting off assassins with a racquet. That's Vijay Amritraj. Honestly, it’s hard to find someone in the history of sports who transitioned from the baseline to the big screen, and then to the halls of the United Nations, with quite as much grace.
But if you think he was just a "charismatic personality," you're missing the real story.
Vijay Amritraj wasn't just another player on the circuit. He was the guy who could—and did—beat the absolute giants of the Golden Era. We’re talking about a man who holds wins over Rod Laver, Björn Borg, Jimmy Connors, and John McEnroe. For a kid who spent much of his childhood bedridden in Madras (now Chennai) with severe health issues, that's not just a career; it's a miracle.
The Player Who Scared the Big Four
The stats tell one version of the story. A career-high ranking of world No. 16 (achieved in July 1980), 15 singles titles, and 13 doubles titles. But the stats don't capture the "Vijay touch."
Amritraj played with a style that felt like a throwback even in the 70s. He was a serve-and-volley artist. On grass, he was terrifying. In 1973, he reached the quarterfinals of both Wimbledon and the US Open. Think about that for a second. A 19-year-old from India, where tennis was still a niche sport for the elite, was suddenly deep in the second week of the world's biggest tournaments.
The Borg and Connors Rivalries
Most people remember Björn Borg as this unbeatable machine. Well, in 1974 at the US Open, Vijay sent him packing in the second round. Then there’s the 1979 Wimbledon clash. Vijay was up two sets to one and leading 4-1 in the fourth against Borg. He was that close to ending the Swede's reign. He eventually lost in five, but it remains one of the most talked-about "what if" moments in Indian sports.
Jimmy Connors had a harder time with him than most. Vijay actually beat Connors five times out of their eleven meetings. That’s nearly a 50% win rate against one of the grittiest competitors to ever hold a racquet.
Basically, if Vijay was "on," nobody was safe.
The 1974 Davis Cup: A Sacrifice for Principle
This is the part of the Vijay Amritraj story that younger fans usually don't know, and it's perhaps the most important. In 1974, India reached the Davis Cup final for only the second time in history. They had a real shot at winning. The team, led by Vijay and his brother Anand, had just demolished Australia in a legendary tie that lasted 327 games—a record that still stands.
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But there was a problem. The final was against South Africa.
At the time, South Africa was under the brutal regime of apartheid. The Indian government, led by Indira Gandhi, refused to let the team play. They forfeited the final.
Imagine being 20 years old, at the peak of your powers, and having a World Championship taken away for a political cause. Vijay didn't complain. He later said that while it was disappointing as a sportsman, as a human being, it was the right call. It’s rare to see that kind of perspective in modern sports where "the brand" usually comes first.
From Center Court to Hollywood
How many athletes can say they were a James Bond ally?
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In the 1983 film Octopussy, Vijay played... Vijay. An MI6 agent in India who helps Roger Moore’s Bond. The movie leaned into his tennis roots—his character even used a racquet to fight off bad guys during an auto-rickshaw chase. It was campy, sure, but it made him a global household name.
He didn't stop there.
- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home: He played the captain of the USS Yorktown.
- The Last Precinct: He had a recurring role in this NBC sitcom.
- Broadcasting: He became the face of tennis for millions across Asia through his work with Star TV and Fox Sports.
He basically invented the blueprint for the "multi-hyphenate" athlete long before social media made it a requirement.
Why His Legacy Still Matters Today
In 2024, Vijay was finally inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. He was the first Asian man to be inducted in the contributor category, alongside Leander Paes. It was a long-overdue recognition of everything he did to put Asian tennis on the map.
But his impact goes beyond the court. As a UN Messenger of Peace, he spent years working on HIV/AIDS awareness and drug abuse prevention. His foundation in India provides healthcare and education to victims of tragedy and disease.
What can we learn from Vijay?
- Style is a superpower: He didn't just win; he won with a specific, elegant flair that made people want to watch the sport.
- Principles over Trophies: The 1974 Davis Cup forfeit proves that some things are bigger than a gold medal.
- Adaptability: He transitioned from a sick child to a world-class athlete, then to an actor, and finally to a diplomat.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into his world, start by watching his 1981 Wimbledon quarterfinal against Jimmy Connors. It’s a masterclass in grass-court tennis. Then, check out the work of the Vijay Amritraj Foundation to see how he’s using that fame for something bigger than himself.
The man is a reminder that being a "pro" isn't just about how you hit the ball—it's about how you carry yourself when the match is over. He’s still the only Asian player with 15 singles titles in the Open Era. Records are made to be broken, but the standard of class he set? That’s likely going to stay at the top for a long time.