 | |
| Company type | Private (1910–88) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports equipment |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Founder | Emile Donnay |
| Defunct | 1988 |
| Fate | Declared bankruptcy in 1988,[1] acquired and becoming a brand[1] |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Tennis rackets |
| Owner | Frasers Group (1996–present) [2] |
| Website | donnay |
Donnay Sports is a sports equipment brand currently owned by Frasers Group.[3] The company was founded in 1910 by Emile Donnay and was based in Couvin, Belgium. Donnay manufactured wooden tennis rackets from 1934, and by the 1970s was the largest manufacturer of tennis rackets in the world. However, the company failed to adapt to the new market for graphite rackets, and entered administration in 1988. After a succession of owners, the brand was eventually sold to Sports Direct International, who continue to license the use of the brand worldwide.
Nowadays Donnay commercialises tennis rackets, strings and bags. Donnay rackets were used professionally in Europe by Björn Borg from 1975 until his retirement in 1983. Other professionals included Andre Agassi, Rod Laver and Greg Rusedski.