Catherine Dix, Managing Director of waterdrop Australia, Lee Ritson, Co-founder of Racquet Club
Global hydration brand waterdrop® has announced a year-long partnership with Racquet Club, Australia’s premier padel and pickleball destination founded by celebrity entrepreneurs Lee Ritson and Darren McMullan.
The Racquet Club partnership will see the same sustainable hydration infrastructure that transformed the Australian Open experience installed in Racquet Club’s Moore Park, Bondi and Fyshwick venues, with refill stations enabling players to access filtered water throughout their sessions.
Beyond refill stations, the collaboration includes custom Racquet Club waterdrop® drinkware, an extensive program of activations, competitions, and exclusive member benefits designed to enhance the playing experience and athlete performance, while promoting environmental responsibility.
“Waterdrop is an incredible product that we love and wanted to share with the racquet club community. With waterdrop’s sustainability ethos aligning perfectly to our own, a national partnership just made perfect sense,” said Lee Ritson, Co-founder of Racquet Club.
Fueling the Padel and Pickleball Revolution
Racquet Club is Australia’s premier destination for padel and pickleball, Australia’s fastest growing sports that have already taken Europe and America by storm. The games blend elements of traditional racquet sports with accessible, social gameplay that appeals to diverse demographics from beginners to elite levels.
“Racquet Club represents exactly the kind of premium partner that shares our vision – they’re not just building courts, they’re building communities around the world’s fastest-growing sports. This partnership allows us to connect with passionate athletes where authentic sport culture is being created,” said Catherine Dix, Australian Managing Director of waterdrop®. .
“It’s a fast-paced sport where hydration is also critical, making for a perfect placement for our electrolyte Microdrink flavouring cubes.”
Bringing elite-level sustainability to grassroots sports
The partnership aligns with waterdrop®’s broader sustainability mission. During the 2025 Australian Open, athlete hydration alone avoided 96,000 single use bottles by using waterdrop®’s reusable stainless-steel bottles, refilled with 5,500L of water, demonstrating the scalable impact of sustainable hydration solutions which is a critical contribution to the sustainability credentials of the tournament.
“Our Australian Open partnership proved that elite sport and environmental responsibility aren’t just compatible – they’re essential companions. We’re excited to be bringing our products to racquet sports at all levels,” said Dix
Strategic Geographic Expansion to sporting capital of Australia
The Racquet Club partnership is also part of waterdrop®’s strategy for geographic expansion through collaboration with premium partners. Racquet Club’s brand new Canberra venue in Fyshwick features a state-of-the-art 4,000-square-metre complex with six panoramic glass-surrounded padel courts and four dedicated pickleball courts.
“We’re not just entering new markets – we’re partnering with visionary operators who understand that the future of racquet sports in Australia includes both premium experiences and environmental responsibility,” said Dix.
Localising a winning global strategy in sports marketing
waterdrop®’s Australian approach to marketing extends and localises the global brand’s innovative sports marketing strategy, which includes Novak Djokovic as investor and brand ambassador. Rather than traditional sponsorship models, waterdrop® is creating fully integrated partnerships that deliver value to athletes, ambassadors, sports fans, venues and sporting bodies, while authentically integrating sustainability messaging into the experience.
“By providing real infrastructure and meaningful activations rather than just logo placement, we create authentic brand moments that resonate with athletes who share our values around performance and sustainability,” said Dix.
About waterdrop®
Founded in 2016, waterdrop® is Austria’s leading sustainable hydration brand with a mission to help people “Drink More Water” through innovative products that eliminate plastic waste. The company’s products, including Microdrink flavouring cubes, reusable bottles, and water filtration systems, are designed to make sustainable hydration convenient and enjoyable. waterdrop® entered the Australian market in 2023 and serves as the Official Hydration Partner of the ATP Tour and Official Hydration Partner of the Australian Open.
For more information about waterdrop®’s sustainable hydration solutions, visit waterdrop®.com.au.
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