AO Press Release, September 26, 2018

Japan’s tennis superstar Kei Nishikori officially launched the Australian Open in Tokyo last night at an exclusive event for partners, media and influencers.

The event, hosted by Tennis Australia, is the first in a series of launches to be held throughout Asia designed to increase tourism and promote the Australian Open within the region.

Tennis Australia Chief Revenue Officer Richard Heaselgrave said the Asia-Pacific region continues to be a vital market for the sport. 

“The Australian Open has long been known as the Grand Slam of Asia-Pacific and it’s a major priority for us to promote the event and continue to develop our relations in the region,” Heaselgrave said.

“Each year, we invest further, build stronger ties and generate more content across Asia-Pacific, and we are excited by what we can achieve in the future.

“With the recent success of Naomi Osaka at the US Open and the ongoing success of Kei Nishikori, the popularity of the sport is booming in Japan. This provides us with the perfect platform to share our excitement around our plans for Australian Open 2019, where we know fans will welcome both Naomi and Kei with open arms,” Heaselgrave continued.

World No.12 Kei Nishikori was excited to bring a taste of the Australian Open to the launch event in Tokyo.

“I love playing at the Australian Open. It’s such a great event and I can’t wait to get back to Melbourne next January,” Nishikori told the audience in Tokyo.