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he Australian Open has announced a multi-year partnership with Grainshaker Australian Vodka as the official vodka partner of the Grand Slam tournament.

Released in October 2020, the Melbourne-produced vodka will be included in the tournament’s food and beverage hospitality service at Melbourne Park when the tournament begins on February 8.

Tennis Australia chief revenue officer, Ben Slack, said it is exciting to support local and upcoming Australian brands.

“Part of our vision for the AO this year was to play our role in promoting the best Melbourne and Victoria had to offer, in terms of food, beverages and experiences,” Slack said.

“Grainshaker is an innovative local Melbourne brand and is a great example of this, and we are delighted to showcase them as the official vodka partner for AO 2021.

We know our fans and partners, both onsite and watching from home, will enjoy Grainshaker drinks as part of their AO experience,” he said.

Fans will be able to try the product at the Grainshaker Australian Vodka Bar at Melbourne Park, and it will also be served at selected AO 2021 food and beverage outlets, hospitality spaces and restaurants, including six specially curated cocktails in the premium Atrium bar.

Top Shelf International chief executive officer, Drew Fairchild, said he is looking forward to the partnership with the Australian Open.

“The Australian Open is recognised around the world for the quality of its customer-focused experience and we’re thrilled to join an event of this international standing in our own backyard,” Fairchild said.

“Grainshaker is a premium Australian Vodka that takes the best of local produce and process – the unique character of Australian grains combined with TSI’s distilling expertise and an Australian attitude – to create a range of premium, hand-crafted, health-conscious vodka products that are inclusive, fun and fit perfectly into the Australian way of life,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tennis Australia has also announced a partnership with Italian sporting apparel brand, Macron.

The brand will dress tournament officials at the ATP Cup, Melbourne Summer Series and Adelaide International in 2021.

Despite having partnerships around the world with sports including football, rugby, basketball, AFL, and NRL, this will be Macron’s first with tennis.

Within Australia, the brand currently holds partnerships with the A-League, National Premier League, Port Adelaide Football Club, and the Parramatta Eels.

Slack said he is looking forward to partnering with another international brand ahead of the AO lead-up tournaments.

“We are pleased to see Macron, known for their high quality and technical apparel, invest in tennis for the first time as part of their long-term global strategy,” Slack said.

Macron Australia country manager, Andrea Palilla, said: “The exciting new partnership is part of our strategic plan to increase Macron’s presence in Australia and enter a new sport like tennis, which is extremely popular all over the world.”