The final of the Chennai Open was to be played before the Diwali fireworks: Champion Linette

Poland’s Magda Linette supported the decision to postpone the Chennai Open final due to health concerns caused by Diwali firecracker pollution, but felt the organizers could have planned the schedule better. The 34-year-old also ended a difficult run of form to win her first title in more than two years when she beat defending champion Janice Tjen 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 in Chennai on Monday.

The women’s singles final was originally scheduled for Sunday, but was pushed back a day after rain and poor air quality interrupted driving. Smog from firecrackers engulfing the city raised questions about the decision to schedule the finale on Diwali.

The WTA announced its 2026 calendar in October 2025, more than a year before the tournament. However, Linette felt that the timing of the finale could have been better.

“It was more about the pollution and the health factor. You can’t put yourself at risk. It’s not good for the kids with the ball, it’s not good for anyone watching,” she said on Monday after winning the title.

“I was really glad the press understood that and were able to stay another day because it was very unhealthy. We definitely couldn’t have played as well as we did today if we played yesterday.”

The former Australian Open semi-finalist supported the postponement but felt the match could have been scheduled before the fireworks began.

“I think we should have played before the firecrackers went off. You have to take that into account next time. I’m really glad they’re still hosting us during the holidays, but the timeline of the day could have been better,” she said.

For Linette, the title was especially sweet after two tough seasons on tour. After reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open in 2023, she endured first-round exits at all four Grand Slams in 2024 and has struggled to find consistency this season.

LINETTE ENDS TITLE DRY

Since her first-round exit at the US Open, she has not advanced beyond the second round in five consecutive tournaments. She admitted that she wasn’t even sure about traveling to Chennai until her team made the decision for her.

“I went to bed and woke up at 11 and my team woke me up and said, ‘Let’s go, we’ve made a decision for you’. So I was like, okay,” she recalled.

The decision proved beneficial. Linette fought every game to lift the trophy, showing the resilience she has lacked in recent campaigns.

“I was really desperate this week and I’m really proud of myself. After so many tough weeks, we fought in every single match and we managed to win,” she said.

The final itself was another test. After losing a closely contested opening set, Linette regrouped to dominate the second before holding her nerve in the decider. As Tjen threatened to take control, memories of her last Chennai 2022 defeat to Linda Fruhvirt briefly resurfaced.

“When I lost that break, I thought ‘Not again’ because that happened to me last time. I’m really glad that I served it a little bit better this time,” she said.

A win will also put Linette back into the top 50 and improve her chances of securing direct entry into the majors at the start of next season.

– The end