adidas have launched a new fully sustainable tennis apparel ahead of the Australian open, and Steph Claire Smith, Jess Fox, Ian Thorpe and Nathan Cleary played tennis on the Great Barrier Reef to celebrate the launch. Image: Supplied/adidas

Great Barrier Reef plays host to iconic bid for sustainability

The Great Barrier Reef played host to an all-star tennis match as adidas launched the new sustainable tennis range Made With Parley Plastic.

In a bid to reduce plastic waste, Australian sporting icons have played a historic tennis match on a full-size, sustainable tennis court, located in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef.

Adidas has partnered with sporting greats as part of the launch of its new tennis apparel range, Made With Parley Ocean Plastic. The clothing is set to debut on the courts of the Australian Open later this week.

Ian Thorpe is one of the adidas ambassadors who took part in the match.

"The design of the new adidas Tennis range Made With Parley Ocean Plastic is inspired by the Great Barrier Reef, so it was appropriately launched in the stunning heritage-protected Queensland marine park today to raise awareness and positive discussion around how we can help End Plastic Waste," Thorpe explained.

"Plastic is a problem that has reached unfathomable proportions: Unless we change course, there will be more plastic waste in the sea than fish by 2050. This waste is destroying oceans."

Thorpe played alongside fellow Olympic gold-medalist Jess Fox, Clive Churchill Medalist Nathan Cleary and Co-Founder of Keep It Cleaner Steph Claire Smith.

Adidas has worked alongside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to use one of the Authority's approved tug and barge operators to put a sustainable tennis court on the top surface of a working barge.

The tennis court surface will be fully recycled into a sports court, and donated to a local Townsville school, providing an opportunity for school kids to play a part in sustainability and get involved in sport.

Adidas Pacific Senior Director of Brand, Shannon Morgan explained the thinking behind adidas' push for sustainability.

"At adidas we believe through sport we have the power to change lives. We live this purpose every day by looking at all possibilities to include and unite people in sport to help create a more sustainable world. We need to continue to implement sustainable solutions now, so that we can help create a new era of sport for future generations," Morgan said.

"We're committed to help end plastic waste and, by 2024, we'll eliminate virgin polyester in our products completely and use recycled polyester wherever possible.

"To achieve these goals, we foster open-source partnerships and put a high value on collaboration over competition to create sustainable solutions that go beyond our own business and influence.

Theapparel rangewill be on show at the Australian Open starting Monday, January 17.