TENNIS in DEPTH.

By the time the first Masters 1000 event of the year rolls around, the ATP will have formalised the full extent of the 5½-year deal with Grupo Modelo, Mexico’s foremost beer manufacturer, which has won the right to replace Mercedes-Benz as the lead sponsor. Unlike Sony Ericsson, whose $80 million (about £52 million) package with the WTA expires at the end of the year, Corona Extra will not be the tour’s title sponsor, but will become its most visible brand — on nets and stadium backdrops.

And so, what of an alcoholic beverage becoming the main partner of such a high-profile sport? Adam Helfant, the ATP’s chairman and president, said last night: “Beers have been associated with different sports before. This is nothing new, and we are happy that it is a great fit both for the company and the tour. Corona’s motto is ‘relax responsibly’ and we are very pleased with the nature of our conversations with their representatives. They will bring an exciting new creativity and marketing experience to the game.”

Helfant, who expects to make further announcements within weeks on additional sponsorship deals, confirmed that attendances at tour level in 2009 topped 4.4 million, a 7 per cent increase over the previous year, and that 14 tournaments set crowd records.

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