History (1981-1990)

  • History of Yonex
  • History of products and athletes

1981

  • German branch office, YONEX SPORTS GmbH (Sales Company), established in western Germany.

  • A new factory concentrating on tennis racquet production is built. Tennis player Billy Jean King attended the new factory's opening ceremony, marking the importance of the occasion.

1982

  • YONEX SPORTS Co., Ltd. changes names to current YONEX Co., Ltd.

  • YONEX enters the golf industry.

  • YONEX announces the very first carbon graphite and persimmon wooden golf club.

  • Company becomes the title sponsor for the YONEX Cup Japan Open (Current: YONEX OPEN JAPAN) badminton tournament.

  • YONEX starts developing the first golf club to combine carbon graphite and persimmon - the CARBONEX.

  • Martina Navratilova wins Roland Garros with the newly released R-7 tennis racquet.

  • The Asian Games tennis women's singles winner, Etsuko Kaneshiro (Née Inoue) signs exclusive contract with YONEX.

1983

  • YONEX Tokyo Factory Co.,Ltd. (Current: Tokyo Factory) starts string production.

  • American branch office YONEX AMERICA INC. (Current: YONEX CORPORATION) is established.

  • Golf driving range (with 36 tees) opens in Niigata Prefecture, Nagaoka City.

  • In the midst of the current tennis boom, the mid-size, huge-hit carbon racquet R-22 goes on sale.

  • Martina Navratilova with the R-22 becomes the first player in history to win both singles and doubles titles in every Grand Slam tournament.

  • An iron that changed the way irons are thought about, the CARBON IRON goes on sale.

  • YONEX tennis player Etsuko Kaneshiro (Née Inoue) wins at the Japan Open for the first time.

1984

  • Nagoya Sales Office (Current: YONEX Nagoya) is established Nagoya City, Naka Ward.

  • Company becomes the title sponsor of the prestigious All England Open Badminton Championships. This legendary tournament has a long history stretching back to 1899.

  • Second factory is built which focuses on tennis strings.

  • Company headquarters (Current: Niigata Factory) builds third factory in Nagaoka City.

1985

  • YONEX tennis player Etsuko Kaneshiro (Née Inoue) wins at the All Japan Tennis Championships for the first time.

1986

  • YONEX tennis player Martina Navratilova wins at Wimbledon for a fifth consecutive time.

1987

  • Fukuoka Sales Office established in Fukuoka prefecture, Fukuoka City, Hakata Ward.

  • First tennis racquet with the IPS (Integrated Power weight System) goes on sale.

  • Branch office YONEX UK Ltd. is established in England.

  • Minoru Yoneyama receives Japanese Medal with Blue Ribbon.

  • YONEX TAIWAN Co., Ltd. branch office is established in Taiwan.

  • The R-24 tennis racquet with the IPS (Integrated Power weight System) goes on sale.

  • YONEX tennis player Martina Navratilova wins Wimbledon for a sixth consecutive time.

  • Prince Edward attends the All England Badminton Championships, a great honour for the tournament.

  • Tennis player Pam Shriver (USA) signs on with YONEX.

1988

  • YONEX SPORTS HONG KONG LIMITED (Sales Company) branch office established in Hong Kong.

  • New YONEX Golf Driving Range (Current: Golf Research Test-Hitting Facility and Driving Range) built in Nagaoka City.

1989

  • The launch of a new company heralds the beginning of research into golf course construction.

  • Branch office in western Germany, YONEX GmbH (Sales Company) is established and inherits YONEX SPORTS GmbH's work.

  • The Japan PGA Tour's YONEX Open Hiroshima Golf Tournament is held by YONEX in conjunction with Hiroshima Telecasting Co.,Ltd.

  • Tennis player Kimiko Date signs on with YONEX.

  • The A.D.X. range of golf clubs goes on sale, boasting the industry's first wide-body head. That same year, the A.D.X. driver breaks the world record by hitting 412 yards - it held the record for the furthest distance hit by a driver at an official PGA tournament.

1990

  • Miyagi Sales Office established in Miyagi prefecture, Sendai City, Miyagino Ward.

  • Headquarters move to Yushima neighbourhood in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward and merges with YONEX Tokyo Factory Co., Ltd. (Current: Tokyo Factory) and YONEX TRADING Co., Ltd. (Current: International Sales Department.)

  • YONEX CORPORATION (the predecessor to the present YONEX CORPORATION) branch office is established in America and a new company building is constructed.YONEX CORPORATION (the predecessor to the present YONEX CORPORATION) branch office is established in America and a new company building is constructed.

  • Martina Navratilova achieves the most wins ever at Wimbledon, a total of nine victories.

  • Tennis player Monica Seles (USA) signs with YONEX.

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