Innovative racquet brand Prince has strengthened its link with Tennis Europe by becoming the ‘Official Ball of Tennis Europe’, with the result that the Prince ball will be used at the upcoming European Junior Individual Championships. In addition, the brand will be offering the opportunity to players in these events to sign equipment contracts to join the Prince Team.
Prince Sports Europe signed a three-year sponsorship agreement in January with Tennis Europe, becoming the official racquet, strings, bags and accessory partner of the sport’s European federation. Furthermore, Prince Sports Europe is also the presenting sponsor of the European Winter Cups.
To underline the brand’s support for the European Junior Tour, Prince Sports is now making available a special tennis ball deal to all Tennis Europe affiliated events. The European Junior Tour incorporates more than 230 tournaments across the continent, making it one of the most prolific and important global junior sport activities.
The new Prince NX Tour ball, which is launched worldwide this year, is a pressurised ball of the highest quality, approved by the International Tennis Federation, French Tennis Federation, Austrian Tennis Federation, United States Tennis Association and Tennis Europe. It features a high modulus rubber core which provides a more consistent hitting feel over a long period when compared to other balls on the market.
In a move which further emphasises Prince’s commitment to junior tennis, the brand will be offering equipment contracts to players who reach the semi-finals in the 14 & Under and 16 & Under European Junior Individual Championships, which take place in four different locations from 19-25 July.
These Championships have provided the springboard for many of the world’s current leading players, including Juan Carlos Ferrero, Xavier Malisse, Olivier Rochus, Carlos Moya, Roger Federer, Davide Sanguinetti, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne.
Prince Sports Europe Vice President & Managing Director Mike Ballardie is delighted to reinforce the brand’s association with Tennis Europe: ‘Our partnership with Tennis Europe is already very successful and we are pleased to be able to build on this success by supporting all Tennis Europe affiliated events in this way.
‘Our commitment to the prestigious European Junior Championships and our new status as Official Ball for the European Junior Tour complements our brand strategy for Prince, and we are delighted that our even closer association with Tennis Europe will now give us access to the best junior players on the continent,’ Ballardie added.
‘There can be no better example of our commitment to juniors than Maria Sharapova, who has used Prince racquets since she was seven years old and now, at barely 17, is a Wimbledon champion!’
Tennis Europe’s Managing Director, External Affairs, Olli Mäenpää is equally upbeat about the new relationship: ‘We are delighted that Prince are able to complete their official equipment association with Tennis Europe with this generous ball offer, which further underlines their strong commitment to the European Junior Tour. I am very happy that through us, Prince can achieve its goal of closer association with European Junior players and tournaments.’
Prince Sports is an industry leader in the development and manufacturing of performance racquet sports equipment that is proven at the highest level of competition and used by both professional athletes and aspiring recreational players. The brand revolutionised the game of tennis with its introductions of the ‘Oversize’, ‘Longbody’®, ‘Triple Threat’® and ‘More’® racquets; it reshaped squash with its innovative ‘Extender’®; ‘Triple Threat’® and ‘ More’® racquets; and redefined badminton with both ‘Y-Joint’ and ‘More’® technologies.
For more information, contact Howard Harding Associates on behalf of Prince Sports Europe.
Tel: +44 1737-243333 or (mobile) +44 7773-325130 Fax: +44 870-706 5253
Email: Howard@hhpr.co.uk