Robinson and Wimbledon have ended their 86-year partnership, one of the longest in the sport.
The squash brand’s association with Wimbledon dates back to 1935, when, according to some accounts, a drink was made in the locker rooms of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) using barley, lemon juice and sugar to hydrate players. This was the year when the gentlemen’s single was won by the British Fred Perry.
The drink was created by Eric Smedley Hodgson and was distributed to players and referees during a visit to Wimbledon and is so popular that he is invited every year. He used Robinson’s barley crystals, invented by Matthias Robinson in 1823, who later moved the production of barley crystals to Norwich.
The fruit drink went into commercial production and began to appear in bottles on the steps of the Wimbledon court. Robinson became the official supplier of soft drinks for the tennis championships.
Since then, Wimbledon and Robinson have been closely linked, perhaps as close as Wimbledon and strawberries and cream, and in 1988, Robinson launched the slogan “everything else is just not tennis.” The long-running sponsorship deal was surpassed only by Wimbledon’s 120-year relationship with Slazenger, the official ball supplier.
This week, the Britvic-owned beverage brand tweeted: “Robinsons no longer sponsors Wimbledon for two weeks and this year will celebrate all summer with The Big Fruit Hunt – an interactive opportunity to find virtual fruit and win real prizes.
AELTC then issued a statement: “After more than 80 years, we can confirm that the partnership between AELTC and Robinson is over. We are extremely proud of the historical connection with Robinson over so many years and thank them for the wider role they have played in supporting Wimbledon and tennis in the United Kingdom. ”
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Robinson was an independent company until it was acquired by Britvic in 1995.
Although neither side gave reasons for ending the partnership, Britvic reportedly wanted to promote his other products at the tennis tournament, including drinks such as Gatorade, Pepsi Max, Rockstar Energy, J2O and Fruit Shoot. However, the tennis club is believed to have opposed its association with other sweet soft drinks.
Robinson said he removed all added sugars in 2015.
Robinson is no longer sponsoring Wimbledon for two weeks and this year will celebrate all summer with The Big Fruit Hunt – an interactive opportunity to find virtual fruit and win real prizes.
Visit to find out how you can get involved
– Robinson (@DrinkRobinsons) June 22, 2022
In May, Robinson became the official partner for Hundred Soft Drinks, a 100-ball cricket tournament in England and Wales that kicked off last summer.
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