Donnay facts for kids
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| Private (1910–88) | |
| Industry | Sports equipment |
| Fate | Declared bankruptcy in 1988, acquired and becoming a brand |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Founder | Emile Donnay |
| Defunct | 1988 |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
| Products | Tennis rackets |
| Owner | Frasers Group (1996–present) |
Donnay Sports is a well-known brand that makes sports gear, especially for tennis. It's currently owned by a company called Frasers Group. The company was started in 1910 by Emile Donnay in Couvin, Belgium.
Donnay began making wooden tennis rackets in 1934. By the 1970s, it was the biggest tennis racket maker in the world! However, the company struggled to keep up with new graphite rackets. It faced financial trouble in 1988. After a few different owners, the brand was bought by Sports Direct International. They still let other companies use the Donnay name for products today.
Today, Donnay sells tennis rackets, strings, and bags. Famous tennis players like Björn Borg used Donnay rackets from 1975 until he stopped playing in 1983. Other tennis stars like Andre Agassi, Rod Laver, and Greg Rusedski also played with Donnay rackets.
Contents
The Story of Donnay Sports
How Donnay Began
The company was founded in 1910 by Emile Donnay. He started it as a small business with six workers. They first made wooden handles for tools. Emile Donnay didn't have much schooling, but he had a great idea.
Over time, the company started making other wooden items. One of these was a special bow for archers. You can still see a bow shape in the Donnay logo today! In 1924, Donnay built its main factory in Couvin, Belgium.
Making Tennis Rackets
Donnay made its very first tennis rackets in 1934. In the early 1950s, the company won a big deal. They got to make tennis rackets for a famous American company called Wilson. This helped Donnay grow a lot.
By 1969, Donnay had become the largest tennis racket maker in the world! In the early 1970s, Donnay was making about 2 million rackets every year. A huge number of these, 1.3 million, were sent to Wilson to sell. But in 1973, Wilson moved its racket making to Taiwan. This caused Donnay's production to slow down.
The Challenge of New Rackets
In 1981, Donnay made 1.8 million rackets. Almost all of them were still made from wood. The company found it hard to switch to the new, lighter graphite rackets. In 1980, Donnay only made 3,000 graphite rackets. They focused more on wood and aluminium rackets instead. Donnay kept making wooden rackets until 1984, even though they were no longer popular.
Björn Borg and Donnay's Ups and Downs
Donnay became very popular after signing Björn Borg to use their rackets. This was a huge success! The company had 600 employees and made about 1.5 million tennis rackets each year.
However, Donnay's good luck started to change when Borg stopped playing tennis in 1983. The company's success was too tied to Borg's fame. Donnay lost money for four years. In 1988, the company faced serious financial problems. It seemed they couldn't find another famous player like Borg to represent them.
New Owners and the Brand Today
When Donnay faced financial trouble in 1988, the Donnay family still owned most of the company. A group of investors bought the company. Later, in 1996, Sports Direct International bought the worldwide rights to the Donnay brand.
Today, Sports Direct sells Donnay products as their own brand. They also let other companies make and sell products using the Donnay name around the world. For example, tennis rackets with the Donnay brand are still made in the United States by other companies.
Famous Players and Donnay Sponsorships
Early Sponsorships
At first, Donnay supported Belgian tennis players. Because tennis was an amateur sport back then, Donnay could only give them rackets, balls, and a small payment. Their first international sponsorship was with French tennis player Yvon Petra. Famous players like Rod Laver, Margaret Court, and Cliff Drysdale also used Donnay rackets.
Björn Borg's Big Deal
Donnay sponsored Björn Borg from 1975 to 1983, providing his rackets. When Borg renewed his contract in 1979, it was a very big deal. He received a large amount of money each year, plus extra payments from Donnay rackets that had his name on them.
Other Tennis Stars
Andre Agassi also signed a deal with Donnay between 1989 and 1992. This deal was worth a lot of money each year. Other well-known players like Henri Leconte and Greg Rusedski also used Donnay rackets during their careers.
