Dunlop will be a Gold Partner of the Next Gen ATP Finals, commencing immediately. The multi-year partnership will see Dunlop provide the official ball for the tournament, as well as receiving a number of promotional rights for the innovative event.

The 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals take place in Milan from November 6-10, with the world’s top 21 and under tennis players to compete using the Dunlop Fort All Court Tournament Select ball.
The partnership adds to Dunlop’s recent official ball partner agreement with the Australian Open as well as existing partnerships with high-profile events on the tennis calendar. Supporting these events, the Next Gen ATP Finals provides Dunlop with the platform to focus on one of its key objectives of targeting and engaging with younger tennis fans to develop their love of the game and ultimately grow participation of the sport globally. 
“We’re delighted to be partnering with the Next Gen ATP Finals, an event that is taking tennis to new audiences,” said Kiyoshi Ikawa, Head of Product Planning & Promotion for SRI. “The passion for innovation fits perfectly with our brand values and provides a great opportunity for us to engage with younger tennis fans and consumers. The ATP understands the need to make the game more appealing to new fans and we’re really excited to be a part of it in the upcoming years.”
Now in its second year, the Next Gen ATP Finals has been praised for the introduction of several innovative rules to raise the tempo of matches. Unique to the event, it features first to four game sets, shorter warm-ups, shot clock, a no-let rule and Hawk-Eye Live which removes the need for line judges. The inaugural event in 2017 was won by South Korean Chung Hyeon, who enjoyed a breakthrough 2018, reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open and registering wins over Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev.
“We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with Dunlop because we believe they provide the best ball on the professional tennis circuit,” said Sergio Palmieri, Tournament Director Next Gen ATP Finals 2018. “To demonstrate how much we appreciate the quality of the Dunlop ball, in addition to the Next Gen ATP Finals, we have also finalized a multi-year extension for the ATP Masters 1000 Rome – BNL Internazionali D’Italia.” 
As a Gold Partner, Dunlop will have strong branding presence with its logo present across the in-stadium branding in Milan and Dunlop-branded ball coolers on court. Directly engaging with spectators, Dunlop has a brand activation and promotional area at the event.

About Dunlop
Dunlop is owned by Sumitomo Rubber Industries and has its headquarters in Kobe, Japan. Dunlop Tennis has a legendary history in the sport of tennis. Current players on Tour using Dunlop rackets include Kevin Anderson, Agnieszka Radwanska, Donald Young, Heather Watson, Jamie Murray, Taylor Townsend, Zarina Diyas, Kurumi Nara and U.S. legends James Blake and Michael Chang. Learn more at www.DunlopSports.com. 
About Sumitomo Rubber Industries
Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) was founded in 1909 in Kobe, Japan and employs over 37,000 people across the world and has sales revenue of around $8 billion. SRI acquired the global rights to the Dunlop brand in April 2017 and owns fellow sports brands Srixon, Cleveland Golf and XXIO. SRI specialises in the tire industry but also in providing rubber-based products for many other industries such as medical, construction, marine, sports facilities etc.
About the Next Gen ATP Finals 
The Next Gen ATP Finals is the season-ending tournament for the world’s best 21-and-Under players. The tournament features the best seven qualified players of the season (as determined by the ATP Rankings on Monday 29 October 2018), plus one wild card, battling for US$ 1.275 million in prize money over five days of competition. As well as providing a platform to promote the stars of tomorrow, the tournament will also provide an opportunity to trial new rules and innovation in the sport. The event, run in partnership with the Italian Tennis Federation and the Italian Olympic Committee, is set to take place in Milan through 2021. 
About the ATP 
The ATP is the governing body of the men's professional tennis circuits - the ATP World Tour, the ATP Challenger Tour and the ATP Champions Tour. With 64 tournaments in 31 countries, the ATP World Tour showcases the finest male athletes competing in the world’s most exciting venues. From Australia to Europe and the Americas to Asia, the stars of the 2018 ATP World Tour will battle for prestigious titles and ATP Rankings points at ATP World Tour Masters 1000, 500 and 250 events, as well as Grand Slams (non-ATP events). At the end of the season only the world’s top 8 qualified singles players and doubles teams will qualify to compete for the last title of the season at the Nitto ATP Finals. Held at The O2 in London, the event will officially crown the 2018 ATP World Tour No. 1. For more information, please visit www.ATPWorldTour.com.