As air quality continues to deteriorate in various parts of India, sporting activities have become one of the biggest casualties. On Sunday, the final of the Chennai Open tennis tournament had to be postponed as thick smog engulfed the city. The AQI reportedly went well past the 1,000 mark, forcing the organisers to reschedule the match between Indonesia’s Janice Tjen and Poland’s Magda Linette. However, Tjen has now claimed that the organisers were not keen on rescheduling the match and wanted it to go ahead.
Tjen, who is the defending champion, shared a video on Instagram showing how thick smog impacted visibility in the city, while also sharing an AQI reading of 1,556. She claimed that the organisers wanted the match to go ahead, even when the pollution was so severe.
The women’s singles final was scheduled to start at 6:30 PM but had to be pushed back multiple times due to rain. The organisers then rescheduled it to start at 9:00 PM, but smoke from the bursting of Diwali crackers created visibility and breathing issues.
Rescheduling the final, the WTA stated that the match would now be played at 11:00 AM on Monday, November 9, the reserve day for the tournament. However, suspense remains over the air quality.
“Due to unforeseen weather conditions, the Women’s Singles Final between Janice Tjen and Magda Linette has been postponed. The match will now take place tomorrow (November 9, 2026) at 11 a.m.,” the WTA said in a statement.
Air Pollution And Outdoors Sports
Severe air pollution poses a growing threat to outdoor sports, turning environments meant for athletic excellence into hazardous conditions for players and spectators alike. High concentrations of particulate matter drastically reduce visibility and elevate the risk of respiratory distress, cardiovascular strain, and long-term health complications for high-performance athletes who inhale vast volumes of air during competition.
Beyond individual health risks, severe pollution disruptions also jeopardise event logistics, compromise fairness, and force governing bodies to confront difficult trade-offs between scheduled commitments and safety standards.
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