Lotto signed a sponsorship agreement with Spanish tennis player Juan Carlos Ferrero at the Italian sportswear company’s headquarters.

The Spanish tennis player, ranked twenty-seven in ATP, will play all his next tournaments wearing Lotto footwear, attire and accessories. A three-year contract means the start of fruitful cooperation between the Spanish tennis player and the Italian sportswear company that will entail not only the supply of gear but also the player’s intense contribution in the development of the performance products.

During his visit to the new sponsor’s headquarters, Ferrero met with Andrea Tomat, Lotto President, who took advantage of the opportunity to officially give the tennis player the footwear model Ferrero will wear this week on the red clay court of the ATP Croatia Open Tournament in Umag.

In the last few years, Juan Carlos Ferrero, born in Onteniente, Spain in February 1980, has attained important recognition in tennis courts worldwide: a dominating figure at the Davis Cup in 2000; victory at the Dubai, Estoril, Barcelona and Rome Tournaments in 2001; winner in Hong Kong and Montecarlo in 2002; the 2003 win at Roland Garros; a finalist at the 2003 US Open and, in the same year, number one in the ATP ranking.

Juan Carlos Ferrero is one of the latest great tennis players of the Spanish school and as of now he’s been added to the prestigious list of Lotto international stars.

Thanks to the agreement with the Iberian tennis player, Lotto has also become the Official Technical Sponsor of the “Juan Carlos Ferrero Equelite Tennis Academy”, one of the world’s best tennis schools, where many young champions train.

Founded by Ferrero near the city of Alicante, the school trains many tennis racquet stars, who choose the school to prepare for the most important tournaments. Lotto’s technical sponsorship, which will last until the end of 2009, envisages the supply of footwear, attire and accessories for all the school’s instructors. Moreover, Lotto will be present in all the practice courts with banners at the sidelines.

As a further confirmation of the Italian sports brand’s commitment in international professional tennis, Lotto will be the Official Technical Sponsor at the Valencia ATP Tournament, which will be held in April 2007. Lotto will supply the staff, referees, linesmen and ball boys with attire, footwear and accessories for the next three years.