London: London’s O2 Arena will most certainly host the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at least till 2018.
While the deal is clear following a formal agreement between the governing body for men’s tennis and the O2 Arena, what remains to be seen is whether Barclays will continue its support for the event till then.
ATP executive chairman and President Chris Kermode confirmed the new deal a day before the start of the 2015 edition at the O2 Arena. “We are delighted to have reached an agreement which will see the tournament celebrate its 10th successive year in London in 2018,” said Kermode.
There was, however, no confirmation that Barclays Bank will continue its sponsorship. In the past, the bank has hinted that it is going to end its sponsorship of the ATP event after 2016 “due to changes in commercial priorities”. The bank has sponsored the event, which features the top eight men’s players in singles and doubles, since 2009 when it moved to the 02 Arena.
Barclays has also dropped sponsorship of the English Premier League and London’s “Boris bikes”.
There had been speculation that the Finals could return to Asia or shift to continental Europe, but Kermode indicated that London’s track record of success meant it deserved to keep the event for the next three years at least.
During his opening remarks at the draw ceremony last Thursday, Kermode said: “The tournament has been a spectacular success since moving to the O2 in 2009, generating record crowds, incredible atmosphere, and a soaring worldwide TV audience which broke the 100 million mark for the first time last year.”
“The O2 has enabled us to present the sport in a new and vibrant way, in a media-friendly time zone, and in one of the world’s greatest cities. For us, there is currently no better place to stage our season-ending event.”
