1974 Davis Cup final: When India forfeited the tie, chose principle over tennis glory

It’s the only Davis Cup final that was never played. As tennis fans around the world savour the 2024 Davis Cup Final this weekend, it’s a fitting moment to recall one of the most poignant chapters in the tournament's history. In 1974, India missed its tryst with tennis glory over its principled opposition to South Africa’s apartheid regime.

Fifty years ago, in November 1974, India was well-poised to gain its biggest breakthrough in tennis but chose to forfeit the Davis Cup final against South Africa in protest against that country’s apartheid policies. While India was on the brink of its first Davis Cup triumph, the Indian government held that competing against South Africa would legitimise its racist rule. In a decision, widely regarded as being inspired by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, India chose to forfeit the match to oppose apartheid, prioritising human dignity over sporting glory.

India’s tough and exciting Davis Cup journey

India’s boycott of the 1974 Davis Cup final was not an isolated act but part of a long-standing policy of opposing apartheid. The roots of this resistance can be traced to Mahatma Gandhi’s experiences in South Africa, where he was thrown off a train for being in a whites-only compartment. Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolent resistance was deeply influenced by his formative years in the South African crucible, and it shaped India’s stance on racial equality.

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After independence in 1947, India emerged as a leading voice against apartheid on the global stage. It provided moral, diplomatic, and logistical support to African liberation movements, and created an abiding relationship with African freedom fighters which played a vital role in the fall of the racist regime in the 1990s. India’s refusal to play the Davis Cup final against apartheid-era South Africa, was a natural extension of this broader commitment.

Despite its political and moral justification, on the tennis front, the decision to forfeit the final, brought an abrupt end to India’s tough and exciting Davis Cup journey in 1974. With the Amritraj brothers, Vijay and Anand, leading a young, talented squad, India’s fine journey to the Davis Cup final began with an easy win over Japan in the Eastern Zone.

In the quarterfinals, India faced defending champion Australia. Vijay Amritraj, the 20-year-old sensation from Madras (now Chennai) and his elder brother Anand, were India’s top two players. But in the tie opener, it was Jasjit Singh who battled Bob Giltinan, ranked 42 places above him. With the sun beating down and the crowd chanting wildly, Singh produced some inspired tennis and defeated grasscourt specialist Giltinan in four marathon sets at 11-9, 9-11, 12-10, 8-6. The advantage was neutralised by Australia’s No. 1 John Alexander who beat Vijay in a tough four-setter at 14-12, 17-15, 6-8, 6-2.

Amritraj brothers' absorbing win

In the dramatic and almost decisive doubles match, the Amritraj brothers beat the Aussie pair of Alexander and Colin Dibley in five long, bruising sets. Vijay and Anand won what many regard as the most absorbing, draining doubles match in Davis Cup history at 17-15, 6-8, 6-3, 16-18, 6-4. Alexander soon defeated Singh in the reverse singles and knotted the tie at 2-2. India’s hopes now rested on Vijay who rose to the occasion, and beat Giltinan at 6-1, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. Having clinched the tie, Vijay became a national hero overnight!

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The India-Australia tie had lasted a total of 327 games, a record that remains intact in Davis Cup history. After defeating 23-time champion Australia, India played the semifinals against the USSR with far greater confidence. Though the Soviet side included Alex Metreveli, the Wimbledon singles finalist the previous year and ranked nine in the world, the Indian team won the semifinal clash 3-1 in Pune in September.

Powered by the Amritraj brothers and captained by the non-playing legend of Indian tennis, Ramanathan Krishnan, India had reached the Davis Cup final. It was just the second time that India had reached the final of the Davis Cup though it had been playing for the Cup since 1921. India had finished runner-up in 1966, losing its first Davis Cup final to Australia which was then called the Challenge Round.

'I think it was a bad call'

There was eager anticipation as the Indian team prepared for the final. But with the Proteas winning from the other side, the Indian government declared that playing South Africa would imply endorsing the apartheid system and contradict India’s commitment to combat racism. Despite the high stakes, the All India Tennis Association (AITA) formally announced India’s withdrawal from the final, thereby conceding the championship to South Africa.

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This decision was met with disappointment among some fans and players who had dreamed of seeing India clinch its first Davis Cup title. Fifty years later, there’s still no consensus among Indian tennis players whether boycotting the final was justified. The mixed reactions can be gauged from the contrasting views of the Amritraj brothers. Anand has often asserted that “I think it was a bad call. The only time we had an excellent chance of winning the Davis Cup, we gave it away.” In contrast, Vijay supports the Indian stand and has claimed in several interviews that “As a sportsman, I was disappointed, but as an individual, I took pride in the fact that my government made the right call.” While the walkover was perhaps the most honourable thing to do, it was rather unfair that the tennis players had no say in the matter.

Besides the mixed reactions to India’s decision to forfeit, there’s also no unanimity on who would have won had the 1974 Davis Cup final been played. While the Proteas assert they would have defeated India, members of the Indian team unanimously believe that they would have won the final easily. Neutral players feel that India should have played the match and proved that they could compete equally in what was till then seen as a white man’s sport.

India's reputation enhanced

The forfeiture also highlighted the complex sporting history between India and South Africa. Given South Africa’s exclusion from international competitions in the apartheid era meant limited direct engagement. However, in the 1960 Rome Olympics, it was a South African runner Malcolm Spence who pipped Milkha Singh to grab the bronze medal in the 400-metre race. Later, India’s boycott of the 1974 final, escalated pressure on the racist regime. The post-apartheid era, however, brought a new chapter of cooperation. In 1991, India hosted South Africa’s cricket team for their first international series after decades of isolation which symbolised reconciliation and the power of sports to heal divides.

Overall, India’s choice to forfeit the 1974 Davis Cup final remains a defining moment in sports history. It underscores the country’s dedication to justice and equality, illustrating how sports can be a vehicle for change. India’s stand against apartheid helped build momentum for the 1980s-era anti-apartheid boycotts by several other countries in a range of sports, which eventually led to the dismantling of racism in South Africa by the early 1990s.

While India lost a potential Davis Cup title, the country gained a reputation as a champion for human rights. The principled decision to forfeit the 1974 Davis Cup final will always remain a beacon of moral courage, and highlights how sports can contribute to the global struggle for justice and equality.