LONDON: The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) announced Wednesday that it has signed a new, five-year deal with Dunlop, making it the official ball supplier and silver partner of the ATP Tour and the Nitto ATP Finals starting this year.
The partnership expands Dunlop’s already extensive portfolio of partnerships with ATP Tour events such as the upcoming Australian Open 2019 and the year-ending Next Gen ATP Finals for which the brand was announced as a Gold Partner in late 2018. Notably, in all these deals, Dunlop has replaced arch-rivals Wilson.
“This new agreement is a testament to Dunlop’s continued commitment to the sport of tennis and we are excited to build a long-term partnership with such a world-renowned brand,” ATP executive chairman & President Chris Kermode said.
“Dunlop has exhibited the foremost standards of quality and attention to detail throughout the process of testing and developing the new ATP Tour Official Ball, which ensures the highest levels of performance and consistency for our players across all conditions and playing surfaces.” “This is a significant moment for the brand, and we are delighted to become the Official Ball of the ATP Tour and Nitto ATP Finals,” Dunlop President Masahiro Asahino said.
“Dunlop is often referred to as the ‘No.1 Ball on Tour’ and is used at more ATP tournaments than any other brand; the multi-year partnership is a testament to this and recognises our commitment to developing a new ATP Tour Official Ball of the highest standard and giving players more consistency on the Tour.
“We are excited to connect with millions of fans from around the world on this global stage.”
