International air carrier Emirates has joined forces with Tennis Australia in a multi-year deal to rebrand the elite summer series the Emirates Australian Open Series.
The announcement comes a day after Emirates was named official airline partner of the Australian Open.
The extension of the Australian Open deal sees Emirates partner with the Hobart International plus the four other events within the Australian Open Series: Hopman Cup (Perth), Brisbane International, Apia International Sydney and the World Tennis Challenge (Adelaide).
Tom Larner, Tennis Australia’s Director, Events and Facilities, said the deal was a coup for the elite series, which serves as the official lead-in to the first Grand Slam of the year.
“Every year the Australian Open Series delivers world class tennis to five capital cities around the country,” Larner said.
“Our new partnership with Emirates reflects the prestige reputation of this series, which draws the world’s top players to our shores each summer … It’s an exciting step forward for the Australian Open Series, and we can’t wait for Emirates to join us in delivering these events this summer.”
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, said the new deal reflected the airline’s commitment to tennis and its strategic ambition to promote Australia as a travel destination.
“The Australian Open is a first class sporting event drawing a truly global audience to Melbourne Park each summer, while millions more watch the action on screen,” Sir Tim said.
“Our commitment to the Australian Open and the Emirates Australian Open Series is a natural extension of our existing tennis sponsorship portfolio around the globe, which now includes three of the four Grand Slams.
“Partnering with the Australian Open and the Emirates AO Series demonstrates our ongoing commitment to Australians. Sharing and supporting our customers’ passions is key to our sponsorship activity, and we plan to utilise this partnership to enhance the fan experience and create an even stronger connection with our customers in Australia.”
In Australia, Emirates’ diverse sponsorship portfolio includes the Emirates Melbourne Cup, Emirates Australian Open golf tournament, PGA Championship, Perth International, Collingwood Football Club, the Adelaide Festival and the Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras.
Emirates is a major supporter of tennis worldwide, partnering with some of the highest profile events on the tennis calendar: Grand Slams Roland Garros and the US Open, the US Open Series, Dubai Tennis Championships (UAE), BNP Paribas Open (USA), Barcelona Open (Spain), Internazionali BNL d’Italia (Italy) and Rogers Cup (Canada).
Emirates is the official airline of the ATP World Tour and naming rights sponsor of the ATP rankings, as well as the official airline partner of the Australian Open and Emirates Australian Open Series.
Emirates operates 84 flights a week from Australia to Dubai, including four flights per day onboard the flagship A380 aircraft from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The expansive global route network offers Australians connections to more than 140 destinations in more than 80 countries worldwide.