ONDON: The Japan Tennis Association (JTA), the governing body for professional and amateur tennis in Japan, has extended its agreement with IMG to act as its exclusive commercial agency for global sponsorships for the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships.
The five-year agreement will run through 2027.
IMG has served as the tournament’s commercial agency since 2001 and secured its longstanding title partnership with Rakuten, one of the largest e-commerce sites in the world, in 2009.
This year’s tournament officially marks the return of the Japan Open, which will take place in Tokyo from October 1-9, after a two-year break due to the pandemic. It is the longest-running ATP Tour tournament in Asia and the only ATP 500 event to take place in Japan.
Gavin Forbes, executive vice president and managing director of Tennis Events at IMG said: “As the Rakuten Japan Open returns to the ATP Tour this year, we’re looking forward to building upon our previous success to deliver new sponsorship opportunities for the JTA and its flagship tournament. The Japan Open is one of the most memorable events on the circuit and it is our privilege to continue growing its global portfolio of partners.”
