Dunlop to continue supporting Australian Open for next five years

The Australian Open and Dunlop have renewed their partnership which sees Dunlop continue as the Official Ball Partner of the Australian Open, Australian Summer of Tennis and Tennis Australia for the next five years.

Throughout AO 2023 Dunlop has celebrated 100 years in tennis with fan activations on-site, a celebratory logo and appearances and fan opportunities with Dunlop Ambassador, the legendary Rod Laver.

Dunlop provides the Official Ball for the Australian Open and all the lead-in events across the Summer of Tennis including the United Cup, Adelaide International and Hobart International. Through its partnership with Tennis Australia, Dunlop also supports grassroots tennis programs across the country, including the provision of Dunlop low compression balls for the key development program Tennis Hot Shots, and regular balls for Cardio Tennis and tennis pathways.

Tennis Australia Chief Executive Craig Tiley enthused “we are delighted to extend our partnership with Dunlop for a further five years. Dunlop and Tennis Australia share a deep commitment to innovation and quality, and we look forward to ongoing collaboration to support tennis throughout Australia at all levels. Dunlop is a vital and highly dedicated member of the tennis family and continues to be a major contributor to the success of our great sport.”

Satoru Yamamoto, President and Chief Executive, Representative Director of Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd., shared “I am very pleased to announce this contract renewal with the Australian Open. Dunlop celebrates its 100-year anniversary in the tennis business in 2023, since our first production of tennis balls in the United Kingdom. It is a great honour to be able to announce this news in such a historic and memorable year for Dunlop.

“For the past five years since we first signed with the Australian Open in 2019, Dunlop has been dedicated to research and development and listening to player feedback to ensure the very best for the Australian Open and the sport of tennis which gives us all such joy. With Dunlop’s celebration of 100 years, we hope to accelerate our joint initiatives and continue to grow our great partnership even more.”

As part of Dunlop’s 100-year celebrations at AO 2023, a Dunlop100 Golden Ball NFT was minted as part of the AO 2023 ArtBall NFT collection. This one-of-a-kind AO ArtBall features the Dunlop100 logo, unique golden colour and digital signature from Rod Laver. The lucky owner of the Dunlop100 Golden Ball benefits from AO tickets, a photo with the champion trophies at the AO, and Dunlop products.