Courier USA FedEx has announced a new sponsorship deal with the ATP, the men's professional tennis tour.

Unveiling the partnership in Monte Carlo, parcel delivery firm FedEx is to become a sponsor and official carrier for the tour.

FedEx will have global marketing rights and will sponsor 17 events across 12 different countries.

In addition, the courier delivery business will offer a statistics service on the ATP website on players' performances and how they get on with different surfaces such as the clay of Roland Garros or the grass of Wimbledon.

FedEx shares with professional tennis the same attributes of reliability, precision and speed, explained Rajesh Subramaniam, senior vice-president of International Marketing at the firm.

"The global nature of the ATP World Tour perfectly complements FedEx which serves customers in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide," he added.

Commenting on the deal, ATP executive chairman and president Adam Helfant described FedEx as a "recognised leader in sports marketing".

The news comes after FedEx announced it is sponsoring a Resiliency Summit with the help of the Salvation Army to aid the recovery of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.