Which company has supplied tennis balls for Wimbledon since 1902?

Slazenger has supplied tennis balls for Wimbledon since 1902.

The partnership began when the British sporting-goods company was appointed the tournament’s official tennis-ball supplier. It has continued for more than a century and is widely described as the longest-running sponsorship in sport. Wimbledon’s association with Slazenger is unusual because the tournament keeps commercial branding relatively restrained compared with many major sporting events.

Slazenger was founded in London in 1881 by brothers Ralph and Albert Slazenger. The company made sporting equipment, including tennis rackets and balls, and became an important manufacturer during lawn tennis’s early expansion. Its production later included a factory in Barnsley, South Yorkshire; modern Slazenger tennis-ball production is based in the Philippines.

A common mix-up is Dunlop, another historic British tennis brand that has also supplied equipment and balls. Penn and Wilson are prominent tennis-ball brands too, but neither is Wimbledon’s long-standing official ball supplier. Wimbledon’s balls are also associated with its grass-court identity and are replaced during matches according to tournament procedures.