Dunlop will become the official ball partner of the Australian Open, from January 2019. The five-year partnership will see Dunlop provide the official ball for the Australian Open and granted the rights to sell Australian Open branded tennis balls globally.

Dunlop was chosen by Tennis Australia due to its strong reputation for quality on the tour and as a partner perfectly positioned to give the Australian Open greater exposure throughout Asia and the world. The partnership is Dunlop’s first with the Grand Slam and showcases its ambitions for the Australian market.

The official Dunlop Australian Open ball uses the finest natural rubber, combined with Dunlop’s secret recipe of components and premium woven cloth, to create an ultra-consistent ball for high performance play.

“We are delighted to partner with Dunlop on the new Australian Open ball,” Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said.

“Our aim is to provide the players with the best possible playing environment and we believe they will be very happy with the quality, standard and consistency of play of the new AO Dunlop ball in a wide variety of conditions.”

As an official Australian Open partner, Dunlop will have a sizeable presence at Melbourne Park with stadium branding and a brand activation area. Visitors to the tournament will be able to purchase replica balls and giant promo balls throughout the venue.

The new Dunlop Australian Open ball will first be used in the lead-up events to the main tournament as the official ball partner for the Emirates Australian Open Series which encompasses the Brisbane International, Sydney International and Hobart International tournaments. The Dunlop Australian Open ball (and Stage 1, 2 and 3 balls) will also be used by all Tennis Australia Member Associations and coaches.