ERSA Pro Stringer Magazine Issue 8-2018 prostringer8-18 web | Page 8

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INDUSTRY NEWS
DUNLOP SECURES MULTI-YEAR NEXT GEN ATP FINALS
PARTNERSHIP
Dunlop to be Gold Partner for flagship event as well as official tournament ball
Dunlop will be a Gold Partner of the Next Gen ATP Finals, commencing immediately. The multi-
year partnership will see Dunlop provide the official ball for the tournament, as well as receiving a
number of promotional rights for the innovative event.
The 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals take place in Milan from November 6-10, with the world’s top 21
and under tennis players to compete using the Dunlop Fort All Court Tournament Select ball.
The partnership adds to Dunlop’s recent official ball partner agreement with the Australian Open
as well as existing partnerships with high-profile events on the tennis calendar. Supporting these
events, the Next Gen ATP Finals provides Dunlop with the platform to focus on one of its key ob-
jectives of targeting and engaging with younger tennis fans to develop their love of the game and
ultimately grow participation of the sport globally.
“We’re delighted to be partnering with the Next Gen ATP Finals, an event that is taking tennis to
new audiences,” said Kiyoshi Ikawa, Head of Product Planning & Promotion for SRI. “The passion
for innovation fits perfectly with our brand values and provides a great opportunity for us to engage
with younger tennis fans and consumers. The ATP understands the need to make the game more
appealing to new fans and we’re really excited to be a part of it in the upcoming years.”
Now in its second year, the Next Gen ATP Finals has been praised for the introduction of several
innovative rules to raise the tempo of matches. Unique to the event, it features first to four game
sets, shorter warm-ups, shot clock, a no-let rule and Hawk-Eye Live which removes the need for
line judges. The inaugural event in 2017 was won by South Korean Chung Hyeon, who enjoyed
a breakthrough 2018, reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open and registering wins over
Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev.
“We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with Dunlop because we believe they pro-
vide the best ball on the professional tennis circuit,” said Sergio Palmieri, Tournament Director
Next Gen ATP Finals 2018. “To demonstrate how much we appreciate the quality of the Dunlop
ball, in addition to the Next Gen ATP Finals, we have also finalized a multi-year extension for the
ATP Masters 1000 Rome – BNL Internazionali D’Italia.”
As a Gold Partner, Dunlop will have strong branding presence with its logo present across the in-
Dunlop is owned by Sumitomo Rubber Industries and has its headquarters in Kobe, Japan. Dun-
lop Tennis has a legendary history in the sport of tennis. Current players on Tour using Dunlop
rackets include Kevin Anderson, Agnieszka Radwanska, Donald Young, Heather Watson, Jamie
Murray, Taylor Townsend, Zarina Diyas, Kurumi Nara and U.S. legends James Blake and Michael
Chang. Learn more at
www.DunlopSports.com.
ERSA PRO STRINGER // ISSUE 8-2018