History (2001-)

  • History of Yonex
  • History of products and athletes

2001

  • Niigata Manufacturing Headquarters（Current: Niigata Factory） receives the environmental management system ISO 14001 qualification.

  • Minoru Yoneyama is decorated with level 4 Order of the Sacred Treasure.

  • YONEX tennis player Lleyton Hewitt wins the US Open, becoming the youngest No. 1 player in history.

2004

  • Establishment of Sapporo Sales Office.

2005

  • Merger with YONEX R&D Co., Ltd.

  • Due to the new rules regarding repulsion in golf clubs, (from 2008), YONEX releases a new rule friendly club - NANOV - the first in the industry.

2006

  • Receives quality management system ISO9001 qualification.

2007

  • Minoru Yoneyama takes the role of Founder/Honorary Chairman, and his son Ben Yoneyama continues the family heritage becoming the third generation of President. Kosaku Yoneyama becomes Chairman.

  • Golfer Maiko Wakabayashi, who started out at the YONEX Country Club, signs with YONEX.

  • YONEX snowboarder Ryo Aono becomes the first Japanese rider to win the World Cup Half-Pipe Championships.

2008

  • Record-breaking golfer Ryo Ishikawa signs with YONEX. The golfer won in the pro tour at 15, holds several "youngest-ever" records and broke the record for lowest score in the world.

  • Ex-YONEX tennis player Kimiko Date, who retired from the tour in 1996, returns to the game. To inspire younger players, she picks up her YONEX racquet once again and heads back to the court.

2009

  • Running shoes equipped with POWER CUSHION are developed and sold.

  • YONEX snowboarder Ryo Aono becomes the first Japanese snowboarder to win a gold medal at the Snowboard World Championships.

  • World No. 1 badminton player Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) signs with YONEX.

2010

  • YONEX Golf China Co., Ltd. Branch office (Current: YONEX SPORTS (CHINA) CO., LTD.) is established.

  • YONEX badminton player Lee Chong Wei wins six Superseries titles and the BWF Superseries Masters Finals three consecutive times.

  • The YONEX ARCSABER Z-SLASH badminton racquet becomes the fastest-smashing racquet in the world at 421 km/h.

2011

  • YONEX CORPORATION U.S.A. changes its name to YONEX CORPORATION and acquires YONEX CANADA as subsidiary.

  • In an effort to help victims of the March 11th Great East Japan Earthquake, YONEX starts the Sports Smiles Project.

  • Minoru Yoneyama is promoted to Founder.

  • World No. 1 female tennis player Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) signs with YONEX.

  • The VCORE series, which would go on receive high praise from the world's top players, releases its first models - the VCORE 95D, VCORE 98D and VCORE 100S.

  • YONEX becomes the official uniform supplier for J-League club team, Kashiwa Reysol.

2012

  • YONEX enters the soccer industry.

  • Three-time ATP World Tour winner Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) signs a full contract with YONEX for racquets, shoes, clothing and bags.

2013

  • Board of Executives is established.

  • YONEX Thai badminton player Ratchanok Intanon becomes the youngest winner of the BWF World Championships at the age of 18.

  • The badminton racquet that broke the world record for fastest smash, the NANORAY Z-SPEED, goes on sale.

  • Badminton racquet NANORAY Z-SPEED breaks the world record for the fastest smash at 493 km/h.

2014

  • YONEX used its accumulated techniques of carbon production and carried out extensive research to enter these fields.

  • With the construction of new facilities, the Taiwan factory which produced the bulk of YONEX's badminton products expanded and boosted production even further.

  • YONEX tennis player Stan Wawrinka beats three top ten players at the Australian Open and wins the first Grand Slam of his career.

  • The Japanese Badminton National Team, which YONEX has sponsored for many years, wins the Thomas Cup, with the female team also placing as the runners-up at the Uber Cup.

  • Ultra-lightweight bike frame, the CARBONEX, goes on sale.

  • Wind turbine carbon blade YW-100 goes on sale.

  • YONEX badminton player Carolina Marin becomes the winner of the BWF World Championships for the first time as Spanish.

  • YONEX golfers become Money List leaders on both the Japanese and Korean LPGA tours. Sun-Ju Ahn on the Japan tour, and Hyo-Joo Kim on the Korean tour.

2015

  • To reflect a shift in operations from exclusive golf sales to sales of badminton, tennis and golf equipment, YONEX Golf China Co., Ltd. Branch office changes name to YONEX SPORTS (CHINA) CO., LTD.

  • Ben Yoneyama is inaugurated as Chairman of YONEX Group and Kusaki Hayashida is appointed as the new president of YONEX.

  • Established to create a space, where consumers around the world can learn about latest Yonex products.

  • He was presented with the medal by BWF President for his "truly exceptional contribution" to badminton.

  • Yonex Tokyo Factory No.2, Tower B built.

  • King of Badminton Lin Dan (China) signs with YONEX.

  • 2014 WTA Newcomer of the Year Belinda Bencic (Switzerland) signs head-to-toe deal with YONEX.

2016

  • Yonex Stringing Team becomes the first Japanese brand to provide official stringing service for a Grand Slam tournament at the Australian Open.

  • Yonex Nagaoka Factory No.2 built.

  • Indian branch office, YONEX INDIA Private Ltd (Manufacturing Company) established.

2018

  • Acquisition of ToyoZouki Co., Ltd.（Current: YONEX Precision Machinery Co., Ltd.）,which manufactures stringing machines

  • Opening of YONEX SHOWROOM AKIHABARA

2019

  • Opening of YONEX FITTING STUDIO AKIHABARA, renovation of YONEX SHOWROOM AKIHABARA

  • Niigata Manufacturing Headquarters changes its name to Niigata Factory

2021

  • YONEX celebrates its 75th anniversary.

  • Acquires Thai tennis ball company BRIDGESTONE TECNIFIBRE CO., LTD. and changes its name to YONEX TECNIFIBRE CO., LTD.

2022

  • Alyssa Yoneyama is appointed as the new president of YONEX.

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