Tennis Australia has revealed that Mastercard will be the official payment partner for next year’s Australian Open in Melbourne.
The deal is the first of its kind for Tennis Australia and Mastercard’s second major sponsorship of a grand slam tournament.
As part of the new agreement, Mastercard will also become the naming rights partner of the Hopman Cup and an official partner of the Emirates Australian Open Series tournaments in Sydney, Hobart and Adelaide.
Furthermore, Mastercard will be involved in a variety of Australian Open lead-up events, including launch activities in Tokyo, Shanghai and Singapore.
Tennis Australia commercial director Richard Heaselgrave said establishing close relationships with quality global brands such as Mastercard is a vital part of its growth strategy.
“As a prestigious international brand with a focus on innovation, Mastercard aligns perfectly with our values and particularly our efforts in global promotion and tourism,” he said.
Mastercard’s senior vice-president of marketing for the Asia-Pacific region, Sam Ahmed, said the new partnership provides the payments technology company with another key platform to connect and engage deeply with cardholders – particularly the growing number of fans coming into Melbourne from across Asia.
“From purchasing tickets online and booking travel, to paying for your transport to the tennis and purchasing food, drinks and merchandise, this platform will allow us to demonstrate to cardholders how fast, easy and safe it is to rely on your Mastercard to make it all happen for you,” he said.
“The team at Tennis Australia are renowned for building the Australian Open into a global event that stretches far beyond the bounds of Melbourne Park, and we are excited to work with them to see what new priceless moments we can create and celebrate together.”
