The YONEX platinum ball was selected as the official ball for the 2025 ATP Asia Tournament

YONEX, an international professional sports brand, today held a press conference at the Shanghai Qizhong Tennis Center with the theme of "Golden Balls to Win and Get Better", officially announcing that its flagship product "TOUR PLATINUM" platinum tennis has become the official ball of the three major ATP tournaments in Asia in the 2025 season. The three tournaments include the ATP1000 Shanghai Rolex Masters, the ATP 500 Kinoshita Group Japan Open and the ATP 250 Chengdu Open. This move marks the first time that Asian professional tennis has achieved the unification of the ball in a top-level tournament, laying an important foundation for the standardization process of regional tournaments.

Ayumu Shibahara, General Manager of YONEX (Shanghai) Sporting Goods Co., Ltd., said: "YONEX has always adhered to the brand concept of 'MADE BY YONEX', constantly improving product performance and service guarantee level, and providing stable and reliable professional support for athletes and enthusiasts around the world. This partnership is another important breakthrough for YONEX in the field of professional tennis in Asia, following its role as the official stringing service of the ATP1000 Shanghai Masters in 2016.We are proud to be the official brand of the ATP high-level tournament in Asia and look forward to connecting with more tennis fans through the tournament platform."”

It is reported that the "TOUR PLATINUM" platinum ball is manufactured by YONEX's own factory in the whole process, using patented air pressure maintenance technology and high-density felt composite structure, with long-lasting air pressure retention, precise flight trajectory and excellent wear resistance three core properties.It is suitable for three types of fields: hard surface, red soil and grass field.The product has previously performed well at the WTA 500 Toray Pan Pacific Open and WTA 250 Guangzhou Open, and has been well received by professional players and tournament organizers.

Michael Luevano, Tournament Director of the ATP1000 Shanghai Rolex Masters, said: "YONEX's professionalism and dedication to quality is admirable. Since 2016, we have been working with YONEX to not only provide players with high-standard stringing services, but also innovatively set up a transparent stringing workshop outside the Centre Court, so that fans can get a behind-the-scenes look at the professional matches. This time, YONEX has become the official racquet partner and won the tender for the three major ATP tournaments with its stable performance, which is a reflection of the brand's strength in the Asian market. ”

ATP 500 Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tournament Director and former professional player Shigebo Kanroji emphasized:"Professional players are extremely sensitive to the ball, and their focus is on whether the air pressure is stable and whether the felt is durable. TOUR PLATINUM's performance in both of these indicators helps athletes maintain their competitive feel during high-intensity confrontations. With the ATP launching the process of standardizing the use of balls in global tournaments in 2025, the unification of balls in the three tournaments will also greatly improve the adaptability of players. ”

As the first tournament representative to use platinum balls, Ms. Li Na introduced that YONEX has been a stringing partner of the Chengdu Open since 2016, and will be upgraded to the official ball of the tournament from 2023. She revealed that a number of players took the initiative to thank the stringer after the match, and said that the stability of the platinum ball provided strong support for her performance. She emphasised: "The platinum ball is a ball you can trust, which is why we continue to choose it."

The "Platinum Ball Challenge" interactive session was set up at the press conference, and a number of well-known professional players, senior coaches and authoritative media representatives were invited to participate in person. By simulating the official competition scene, the participants experienced the precise control, long-lasting stability and excellent performance of the "Platinum Ball" in an all-round way, and unanimously spoke highly of its application prospects in top-level competitions.

According to the official announcement of the ATP, from 2025, the standardization of balls used in global tournaments will be gradually promoted to improve the fairness and enjoyment of the game. The winning of the bid for the "TOUR PLATINUM" platinum ball not only reflects the product strength of YONEX, but also represents the wide recognition of the brand on the ATP, WTA and ITF platforms.

Based on the three major ATP tournaments in Asia in 2025, YONEX is committed to promoting the development of professional tennis in Asia with technological innovation and presenting a higher level of competition for fans around the world. In the future, YONEX will continue to work with the world's top tournaments and partners to promote the progress and development of professional tennis.