Robinsons Squash will no longer sponsor Wimbledon, ending a partnership that dates back to 1935.
The soft drink maker confirmed on Friday that it will not be renewing its contract with the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
Robinson’s Lemon Barley Water was first officially introduced at Wimbledon in bottles on the referee steps.
Britain’s Fred Perry and American Helen Moody won the singles titles that year and squash became the official soft drink supplier for the championships.
Before the deal, however, Smedley Hodgson placed Robinson’s Barley Water in players’ locker rooms in the 1930s, having created a “refreshing and hydrating drink” after combining barley crystals with real lemon juice and sugar.
A spokesman for Britvic, which owns several drinks brands including Robinsons, said it was “tremendously proud to have been such a prominent partner of this historic tournament for so many years and the broader role we have in fostering commitment to.” played the tennis game the United Kingdom”.
The company said it was “looking to extend our summer reach beyond the Wimbledon fortnight”.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club said the partnership had ended “by mutual consent”.
“We are immensely proud of the historic association with the Robinsons over so many years and thank them for the wider role they have played in supporting Wimbledon and tennis across the UK,” read a statement.
Last month, Britvic Robinsons announced a three-year deal to sponsor The Hundred, cricket’s 100-ball competition, for the 2022 season.
Two decades after its debut on Center Court, Robinson’s Lemon Barley Water received a royal warrant from the Queen in 1955.
Mr Matthias Robinson invented Robinson’s patent barley and barley groats in 1823, with the fruit drink beginning life as a powder.
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