Tennis sponsorship in Singapore doesn't have to mean a banner at a pro tournament. For most tennis and sports brands, the better first step is grassroots: supplying gear to a small beginner programme in exchange for honest content, a credit and a report. The short answer: pick one programme whose players match your customers, give products rather than cash, agree in writing what you get back (content, disclosure, reuse rights, a wrap-up), and treat it as a business expense, not a donation.
I'm Zhanna, co-founder of ContentGenZ, an ITF tennis coach and a tennis content creator. I've been on the coaching side of these deals: the brand sends a box of rackets and hopes something good happens. This guide is the version I'd give a marketing lead who wants something to show for it.
What tennis sponsorship in Singapore looks like today
At the top end, sponsorship is tournament-led. When the Singapore Tennis Open launched in January 2025, the organiser announced 11 sponsors, with Turkish Airlines, ASICS and Polestar as main sponsors; ASICS supplied apparel and footwear for ball kids, officials and umpires (The Kallang, 20 January 2025). That's brand visibility to people who already watch tennis.
Grassroots sponsorship works differently. You're backing people who are just starting, and the value is in the story: someone picking up a racket for the first time, with your product in the shot. It costs far less, and the content is closer to what your next customer looks like.
Four ways to back tennis in Singapore, compared
| Route | What you usually give | What you usually get | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pro or national events | Cash, plus product as an official supplier | Logo placement, hospitality, broadcast exposure | Big brands building awareness | High cost; you're one of many logos |
| National and public bodies (for example Sport Singapore's SportCares arm) | Donations, partnerships, volunteers | Community impact and recognition | Brands focused on social impact | A donation with heavy benefits may stop being a donation (see the tax section) |
| School and club teams | Equipment, team kit | Logo on kit, goodwill with families | Local retailers and clubs | Few people see it outside the school; school rules apply |
| Community beginner programmes | Products for a small group | Content made by participants, a credit, a report | Brands selling beginner gear | Quality varies; ask the questions in the checklist below |
SportCares, Sport Singapore's philanthropic arm, says it works through partnerships with corporate, public and community groups, and takes donations through Giving.sg (Sport Singapore). If your goal is pure community impact, start there. If your goal is product in real hands and content you can learn from, a beginner programme fits better.
Sponsorship or donation? How IRAS sees it
This matters for your finance team, and it trips up a lot of brands. In a briefing deck prepared with IRAS for charities, MCCY sets out the difference (MCCY, Tax Treatment: Donations vs Sponsorships):
| Qualifying donation to an IPC | Sponsorship | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Freewill giving, with no expectation of a benefit in return | A commercial arrangement with defined rights and benefits for the sponsor |
| Tax treatment | Enhanced deduction under section 37(3)(c) | Deductible as an expense under section 14, if incurred wholly and exclusively to produce income |
| Amount deducted | 250% of the donation, less the value of any benefits | 100% of the amount |
| Receipt | The IPC issues a tax-deduction receipt | No tax-deduction receipt |
Two practical points. First, if you want content, a logo credit and a report, you're sponsoring, and that's fine: it's a normal marketing cost. Second, the same deck lists clauses that can disqualify a donation, such as refund clauses, industry exclusivity and requirements to buy from the contributor. The 250% rate was extended to the end of 2026, so check the current rate with IRAS or your tax adviser before you budget for it (Community Foundation of Singapore).
A worked in-kind kit for 10 beginners
Here's what kitting out a group of ten first-time players looks like at Singapore retail prices. Your own cost will be lower if you're the manufacturer or distributor.
| Item | Quantity | Retail price each | Retail total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner racket (Decathlon Kuikma TR Easy Graph to Artengo TR500 range) | 12 (10 plus 2 spares) | S$44.90 to S$59.90 | S$539 to S$719 |
| Branded recreational racket instead (Wilson Ultra Power 103) | 12 | S$159 | S$1,908 |
Racket prices are from Decathlon Singapore and Wilson Singapore, as listed in our guide to choosing a beginner tennis racket. Rackets are the big line. Add balls (ask the coach how many tubes six sessions need), overgrips and caps or tees at your supplier's current prices. They're small costs, and it's what makes the content look like one team.
A tip from the court: send rackets that suit beginners. A light, forgiving, pre-strung racket helps someone keep a rally going on their first Saturday, and that rally is the clip you want.
What your brand should get back
A good grassroots partner tells you up front what you'll receive. Ask for these in writing:
- Content with a clear disclosure. Singapore's advertising guidelines expect paid or gifted content to be clearly identified (ASAS Guidelines for Interactive Marketing Communication and Social Media). Every post that shows your product should say so, for example "gifted by" your brand. That protects you and the creator.
- Reuse rights, with consent. If you want to repost participants' clips or use photos on your own channels, that needs the participants' agreement, and a parent's or guardian's for anyone under 18. Get it before the programme starts, not after a clip does well.
- A credit at the event. A tag, a mention, your logo on a showcase screen.
- A wrap-up report. Attendance, links to every post, and views. Without it, you can't judge whether to do it again.
If you later want to run participants' posts as ads, that's a separate permission. Our sports influencer marketing guide covers usage rights and boosting.
Checklist: questions to ask before you sponsor
Copy this into your email to any programme that asks for gear:
- Who are the participants (age, level, number), and how are they chosen?
- Who coaches, and are they qualified? Is there a written safety protocol?
- How many pieces of content will include our product, on which platforms, and over what period?
- How will posts be disclosed?
- What consent do you collect for filming, reuse, and from guardians of under-18s?
- What can we reuse, where, and for how long?
- Do participants keep the product? On what condition?
- When do you need the product, and where do we deliver it?
- What report will we get, and when?
- Is this a sponsorship or a donation, and will you issue a receipt?
If a programme can't answer most of these clearly, wait for the next one.
A grassroots example: First Serve
First Serve is our own programme, so I'll be plain about it. Ten young women aged 15 to 25, all complete beginners, learn tennis over six Saturday sessions with me as their ITF coach, and film their progress from the first swing. Participants keep their racket once they've attended 5 of 6 sessions. Supported by the National Youth Council Singapore.
We only take products, not cash. We're looking for rackets (10 plus 1 or 2 spares that participants keep), balls and grips, caps or tees, and drinks and sun care. In return, partners get their product in about 30 short participant videos, each with a clear "gifted by" disclosure; a credit and tag at a public showcase in March 2027 (about 20 attendees); photos and clips they can reuse where participants have agreed; and a wrap-up with attendance, post links and views. Product decisions are needed by Friday 11 December 2026.
If that matches your brand, partner with First Serve as a brand. If you're new to the game yourself, our guide to learning tennis as a beginner in Singapore is a good place to see what your players go through.
Sources
- Star-studded sponsor line-up takes centre court at the Singapore Tennis Open 2025, The Kallang, 20 January 2025 (read 14 November 2026)
- SportCares, Sport Singapore (read 14 November 2026)
- Tax Treatment: Donations vs Sponsorships, MCCY Charity Council materials, 2022 (read 14 November 2026)
- Budget 2023: Govt to extend 250% tax deduction for donations until 2026, Community Foundation of Singapore (read 14 November 2026)
- Guidelines for Interactive Marketing Communication and Social Media, Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (read 14 November 2026)
- Tennis rackets, Decathlon Singapore, and Wilson Ultra Power 103, Wilson Singapore (prices as read 7 November 2026 for our racket guide)
