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he Australian Open (AO) has announced two new multi-year commercial partnerships as day one of the 2021 Australian Open begins at Melbourne Park in Melbourne.

Australian natural gas supplier, Santos has been named the official natural gas partner of the Australian Open and ATP Cup, while Canadian Club (C.C) has been named the tournament’s official dark spirit partner.

The partnership with C.C is an extension of a seven-year partnership and will see the return of the C.C. Racquet Club pop-up bar at the AO Hilltop as a free live site for the duration of the 2021 AO.

The C.C. Racquet Club will feature all live games on a big screen with a Canadian Club Bar set to feature on Grand Slam Oval in the Rod Laver Arena zone.

Tennis Australia chief revenue and experiential officer, Ben Slack, said on the Canadian Club partnership extension: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with Canadian Club.”

“We pride ourselves on delivering a world class event and look forward to continuing to work with Canadian Club to enhance and deliver a great fan experience,” Slack said.

Canadian Club marketing director, Trent Chapman, said the partnership will continue to be a key asset for the brand.

“The Australian Open will continue to be a key partnership for the brand and we’re proud to be able to extend our long-term partnership with Tennis Australia,” Chapman said.

“In light of what has been a challenging year, especially for the people of Melbourne, we are proud to be a part of bringing to life one of the most iconic Australian events,” he said.

Speaking on the Santos partnership, Slack said Tennis Australia and Santos will also work together to deliver a range of tennis activities in regional and Indigenous communities.

“Santos is a proudly Australian company with a focus on innovation and excellence, values we share here at Tennis [Australia], and a tremendous platform on which to base this new partnership,” Slack said.

Santos managing director and CEO, Kevin Gallagher, said the South Australia-based organisation is committed to making a positive contribution to Australian communities.

“Events like the Australian Open, ATP Cup, and grassroots programs bring communities together, promote healthy living through sport and create economic opportunities for our communities,” Gallagher said.

“The Australian Open is even more important in 2021 as our economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

“It is an international event beamed to our trading partners all around the world and maintaining these connections and relationships will be vital to Australia’s economic recovery,” he said.

As part of the deal, Santos will receive on-court signage at the ATP Cup and Australian Open.