All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club

Robinsons and Wimbledon End Partnership After 86 Years | Eater London

"An iconic southwest London tennis club ended an 86-year partnership with Robinsons ahead of the 2022 championships. The relationship dated back to 1935 — the year Fred Perry and Helen Moody won the singles titles — and made Robinsons’ lemon and orange barley water a central, courtside fixture, its cloudy diluted bottles sitting in players’ fridges alongside Slazenger balls and the pristine lawns. The drink’s origins pre-date formal sponsorship: Eric Smedley Hodgson’s hydrating barley‑lemon‑sugar concoction was reportedly handed to players and umpires and became so popular he was invited back annually. The club has long kept sponsorship discreet, favoring subtle brand presences (Rolex, Slazenger, Evian, Ralph Lauren, HSBC) rather than overt advertising; Britvic said it was proud of the historic association while Robinsons said it wanted to broaden its summertime reach, and both parties described the split as mutual and cordial." - Adam Coghlan