Yokohama Rubber named new sponsor of the ATP tour
Hiratsuka, Japan—The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced that it has entered into a partnership agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the global governing body of men’s professional tennis, that makes it the ATP Tour’s first Official Tire Partner (a Gold Partner).
The ATP Tour entertains a billion global fans and showcases the world’s greatest players at the most prestigious tournaments. Yokohama Rubber’s partnership with the ATP Tour is aimed at increasing awareness of the YOKOHAMA brand in the European market. The Company will be sponsoring five tournaments in the European countries of Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Monaco, including the Nitto ATP Finals, the ATP Tour’s prestigious season finale featuring only the top eight singles players and doubles teams in the annual rankings. As the ATP Tour Official Tire Partner, Yokohama Rubber will be able to use the ATP Tour logo in its sales promotion activities and enjoy on-court visibility with the YOKOHAMA logo on-site at sponsored tournaments. The YOKOHAMA logo also will be displayed on ATP Tour social networking sites (more than 9 million followers) and its official website (150 million viewers each year), thereby increasing its brand exposure.
The consumer tire strategy in Yokohama Rubber’s new three-year (2024–2026) medium-term management plan, Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026), aims to maximize the sales ratios of high-value-added tires by expanding sales of YOKOHAMA’s global flagship ADVAN brand, the GEOLANDAR brand of tires for SUVs and pickup trucks, winter tires, and 18-inch and larger tires. Under the new medium-term plan, Yokohama Rubber’s consumer tire business also is continuing to implement its “Product and Regional Strategies” focused on strengthening the development, supply, and sales of tires that respond to specific trends in each regional market. This emphasis on regional strategies led Yokohama Rubber to establish a new tire sales company in Italy in August 2023. This new partnership with the ATP Tour is the latest action to raise the YOKOHAMA brand’s presence throughout Europe.