Yonex Brand Shop

Crafting Wooden Rackets

1950

Leveraging expertise in wood crafting, Yoneyama Company transitioned to producing badminton racquets in 1957 as an OEM for the Sanbata brand. Presently, Yonex independently manufactures a diverse range of sports equipment, including tennis
racquets, golf clubs, snowboards, road bikes, and strings for tennis and badminton. The company’s enduring philosophy, rooted in the belief that challenges present opportunities, guides its mission to enhance the world of sports with high-quality products.

The First Yoneyame Racket

1960

The 1960s presented significant challenges for Yonex, with Sanbata’s bankruptcy in 1961 and a fire at Yoneyama’s Manufacturing Headquarters in 1963. Despite these setbacks, Yoneyama swiftly rebounded by establishing Yoneyama Sports Co., Ltd., rebuilding the factory in three days, and expanding business to the United States and Europe. In 1965, the Tokyo Factory began manufacturing shuttlecocks, eventually becoming the official tournament shuttle for all Badminton World Federation (BWF) Major Events and the Olympic Games since 1992 in Barcelona. The innovative “T-Joint,” developed by Yonex in 1968, led to Japan’s first aluminum badminton racquet, inspired by a gas tap design. The company further entered the tennis industry in 1969 with the aluminum T-7000 racquet.

Pushing structural limits

1970

Yonex enhanced the popular T-7000 by introducing the Oval Pressed Shaft (OPS) for a stronger and more stable racquet, implemented in the T-7500. In 1973, the “YY Yoneyama” logo debuted, and badminton legend Rudy Hartono, an eight-time All England Open Badminton Champion, joined Yonex. The subsequent year saw Yonex’s entry into wooden tennis racquet manufacturing, along with the signing of Tony Roche, a fourteen-time major champion from Australia. In a groundbreaking move in 1978, Yonex launched the B-8500 and CARBONEX 8, the first badminton racquets weighing under 100g.

ISOMETRIC™ Raquets to longest drives

1980

In 1980, Yonex introduced the iconic square-shaped ISOMETRIC™ racquet with the launch of the R-1, R-2, and R-3 models. The same year, tennis legends Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova joined Yonex. The company underwent a name change to Yonex Co., Ltd., and leveraging its graphite technology, Yonex entered the golf business. In 1983, Navratilova achieved significant victories at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open in both singles and doubles, using the best-selling R-22 racquet. By 1984, Yonex became the title sponsor of the renowned All England Open Badminton Championships. In 1989, Yonex revolutionized golf with the introduction of the ADX 200 in the United States, a widebody graphite driver that set a Guinness World Record for the longest drive at 412 yards.

A Series of World No. 1s

1990

In 1990, Navratilova secured her 9th Wimbledon title using the widebody RQ-180, while in 1991, Monica Seles became the youngest female player to achieve a World No.1 Ranking. The first-ever ISOMETRIC™ badminton racquet, inspired by Yonex’s signature square-shaped tennis racquet frame, was launched
in 1992. In 1995, Yonex expanded into snowboard manufacturing to push the boundaries of graphite
innovation. Martina Hingis, at 15 years old, became the youngest major champion in history in 1996, initiating a legendary career with Yonex gear. The company revamped its logo to the current YY Yonex logo in 1998. In 1999, Yonex began hosting the YONEX Ladies Open, an LPGA Japan Tour event, at the Yonex Country Club.

Breaking Records

2000

In the early 2000s, Lleyton Hewitt achieved the distinction of becoming the youngest male World No.1 in history, securing major singles titles at Wimbledon and the US Open. In 2007, Ryo Aono made history as the first Japanese snowboarder to win a gold medal at the Snowboard World Cup in Halfpipe. Over his career, he accumulated 12 World Cup titles and participated in two Olympic Games. Additionally, in 2009, Yonex became the longest-standing title sponsor of the All England Open Badminton Championships.

Enriching the World Through Sport

2010

In 2011, Yonex initiated the Vamos•J tennis camps in Japan, which have since expanded globally, focusing on developing high-performance junior players. Vamos•J emphasizes unique programs and life experiences to promote tennis and nurture young talent worldwide. Yonex diversified into new businesses, including sport bikes and wind turbine blades, in Japan, leveraging its expertise in carbon graphite technology. In 2016, at the Australian Open, Yonex achieved a milestone by becoming the first Japanese brand to provide stringing services for a major tennis tournament through the Yonex Stringing Team. Today, trusted by former and current World No.1 athletes, Yonex continues to blend timeless Japanese craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology to equip players for success.