Last Updated: 2014.06.19
UNIQLO and the ITF Sign a Three-year Agreement for Title Sponsorship of the Wheelchair Tennis Tour
UNIQLO CO., LTD.
to Japanese
UNIQLO and the ITF (International Tennis Federation) today jointly announced that they have signed a three-year sponsorship agreement for the ITF's major wheelchair tennis properties. The agreement sees UNIQLO become the title sponsor of the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour and the Wheelchair Doubles Masters competition, as well as an international sponsor of the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters. The partnership will start on June 24 at the BNP Paribas Open de France wheelchair tournament in Paris.
Commenting on today's announcement, ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti, said, "It is great news for wheelchair tennis that a high profile global brand like UNIQLO has become the title sponsor of the Wheelchair Tennis Tour. We have been impressed with UNIQLO's enthusiasm, creativity and vision, and we believe that they will be an outstanding partner for both the ITF and wheelchair tennis, one of the fastest growing Paralympic sports. We welcome their involvement and look forward to working with UNIQLO over the next three years."
Fast Retailing Chairman, President & CEO Tadashi Yanai said, "We are extremely pleased to have partnered with the International Tennis Federation as the title sponsor of the Wheelchair Tennis Tour. Shingo Kunieda, Japan's two-time Paralympic champion and wheelchair world No. 1, six-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and world top 10 ranked tennis player Kei Nishikori are already UNIQLO Global Brand Ambassadors, and we wish to use the sponsorship of the Wheelchair Tennis Tour to help increase the popularity of the sport worldwide."
The UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour comprises over 160 tournaments in more than 40 countries, including wheelchair tennis events at all four Grand Slam tournaments. The UNIQLO Wheelchair Doubles Masters is the ITF's flagship wheelchair tennis doubles event, and in 2014 it will be held in Mission Viego, California on November 5 to 9. First staged in 2000, the season-ending event currently features the world's top eight men's pairs, top six women's pairs and top four quad pairs.
About Wheelchair Tennis
Wheelchair tennis was founded in 1976 and quickly became one of the world's fastest growing wheelchair sports, earning entry into the Paralympic Games in 1992. The sport became fully integrated into the ITF in 1998, making wheelchair tennis the first disabled sport to achieve such a union at international level. Through the work of the Wheelchair Tennis Development Fund, the sport continues to expand into new territories. The Wheelchair Tennis Tour originated in 1992 with 11 international tournaments, and it has grown to its current total of over 160 tournaments in more than 40 countries, offering over $1.5 million in prize money.
