WTA Tour not Sony Ericsson any more
The Women’s Tennis Association and Sony Ericsson have extended their agreement to the end of 2012, but in a reduced form.
Sony Ericsson will lose its naming rights when the current six-year $88-million contract expires at the end of 2010, so the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour will get back to being simply the WTA Tour, and the prestigious season-ending Championships will not be called the Sony Ericsson Championships any more. Nevertheless, Sony Ericsson will continue to be the leading partner of the WTA Tour.
"To have that leverage, for us to have our own brand back will give us new opportunities to attract revenues. By getting some rights back we can grow further," said Stacey Allaster, CEO of the WTA Tour.
No financial details have been released, but media reports estimate the new sponsorship deal to be around $27 million for the nearly three-year period. (source: Reuters, photo: warrenski)

World No.1 and defending Australian Open champion Serena Williams tops the list of 32 seeds at the 2010 Australian Open.

