ATP Finals Stay In London With New Partner
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) has announced that its season-ending tournament will continue its stay in London a further two years through to 2020, under a new title sponsorship with Japanese company, the Nitto Denko Corporation.
The tournament, first staged in London in 2009, will now be renamed the Nitto ATP Finals, replacing Barclays whose headline partnership ended last year.
Nitto is a materials manufacturer offering and in 2018 the company will celebrate its 100-year anniversary and the Nitto ATP Finals will form part of their strategic initiatives.
The Nitto ATP Finals welcomes more than 250,000 fans to The O2 arena each year, as well as a global TV viewership, as the ATP’s best eight singles players and doubles teams compete over eight days for the biggest indoor tennis tournament in the world. This year the tournament will be held from 12th to 19th November.
“We’re delighted to extend our stay in London and to have Nitto come on board as title sponsor over the next four years,” said Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman & President, who was joined for the announcement, held at The View from The Shard in London, by special guests including the likes of Boris Becker, a three-time former champion. “It’s fantastic news to have such an ambitious and innovative company partner with our season-ending showcase in what is unquestionably one of the most exciting times in men’s professional tennis in recent memory. We look forward to a successful partnership and to the continued growth of our season finale in London,” added Kermode.
Hideo Takasaki, Nitto president, CEO & COO, said: “We are very proud to become the title sponsor of the ATP Finals. Featuring the world’s top men’s professional tennis players, the ATP Finals fits very well with Nitto’s philosophy, where we challenge ourselves to gain top share by utilizing our unique technology both locally and on a global level. As title sponsor, we hope to accelerate our global brand promotion this year, and for our 100th anniversary in 2018, and beyond. By sponsoring the ATP Finals, we at Nitto also aim to further increase the popularity of tennis, and we look forward to the emergence of new star players competing in the event.”
Andy Murray, the reigning world number one, said: “The crowds throughout the week for both the singles and doubles are second to none, and that makes this one of the most special events for the players. It’s an amazing atmosphere and a great tournament to cap off the year.”
Alex Hill, chief operating officer of AEG Europe, said: “The ATP’s season finale has established itself as one of the most popular annual events on the UK sporting calendar. The O2 has successfully showcased the best that men’s tennis has to offer in a unique and special way, delighting some two million tennis fans since 2009. We’re obviously thrilled to continue our partnership with ATP through to 2020, remaining as the home of this great event.”
