Chinese mineral water firm Ganten has agreed a deal to sponsor the Australian Open grand slam tennis tournament.
The five-year deal covers the 2018 to 2022 editions of the event, with China a key strategic market for the Melbourne-based tournament.
Tournament director Craig Tiley said: “When asked why we’ve chosen China as a focus for ongoing promotion and commercial opportunities, I can honestly say that due to their love of the sport, China chose tennis, and the Australian Open.
“Consider the following figures: China has 330 million tennis fans; there are 220 million Australian Open fans in China; 14 million regular tennis players and 30,000 tennis courts – a number that’s increasing all the time.”
The deal marks Ganten’s latest major sports sponsorship deal, with the company having partnered with Italian Serie A football club Juventus in June. The three-year deal named Ganten as the official water partner of the club.
The 2018 Australian Open will run from January 15-28. Roger Federer and Serena Williams are the defending singles champions.