Wimbledon tennis legends and the brands that sponsor them
Jul 10, 2024
The Wimbledon Championships are on! With tennis fever at an all time high, Olivia Bullock looks at some of the stars of Wimbledon and what brands they are representing
Running from 1 July to 14 July, the world-renowned Wimbledon Championships brings together the best of the best of tennis for a competition like no other. The pristine and picturesque courts, the signature all-white dress code, and the star-studded spectators create an unforgettable experience. Tennis #legend Emma Radacanu herself has expressed that “the aesthetics and tradition of Wimbledon are unparalleled.”
Even with the retirement of tennis heroes like Roger Federer and Serena Williams, there is a new crop of players making their mark on the courts and continuing the legacy of Wimbledon excitement. #legend looks at other stars and the many luxury brands that have chosen to collaborate with them.
Novak Djokovic – Serbia
Novak Djovokic is arguably one of the best tennis players in the world. Known as one of the big three (alongside Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer), he has been a prominent figure in tennis since his first Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour title at the 2006 Dutch Open. He currently has spent a total of 428 weeks as No. 1 in the ATP world rankings, and also holds the record for the most year-end No.1 finishes.
The tennis star has won an astonishing US$182.5 million (HK$1.4 billion) in prize money. Since Djokovic resides in Monaco, there is no income tax on all that prize money. As a world champion tennis star, Djokovic is not lacking in sponsorship deals either. He has worked with brands like Mercedes-Benz and Audemars Piguet. He also became an ambassador for Hublot in 2021.
Emma Radacanu – United Kingdom
Emma Radancu made her mark in 2021 when she won the US Open and it was only her second main-draw appearance . The win alone resulted in an incredible four tennis records: Grand slam singles title as a qualifier; Grand slam singles title with two or fewer major main-draw appearances; Grand Slam single title in their second major main-draw appearance; and Single title in the first US Open main-draw appearance. To put the icing on an already impressive cake, she was also awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2022 for her contribution to the game of tennis, which is a prestigious award appointed by the King or Queen of the United Kingdom.
Shortly after her unexpected US Open win, the star received an avalanche of sponsorship opportunities. Radacanu became an ambassador for Tiffany & Co, and Dior in October 2021, while her deal with Dior is said to be worth GBP2 million (HK$19.9 million) . She also became an ambassador for British Airways in a deal worth over GBP1 million a year (HK$9.9 million).. As if multiple luxury brands and an airline deal wasn’t impressive enough, the young athlete also became an ambassador for HSBC in a four-year deal that began in 2022.
Radacanu’s agent claimed that the star had to bat deals away as she and her team decided to limit their days for commercial activities to 18 days a year. This dedication to her sport means turning down millions of pounds. Despite this, Forbes named Raducanu the sixth highest-paid tennis star in the world in 2023. Only Djokovic, Alcaraz, Swiatek, Medvedev and Nadal are ranked above her, which means that she is the highest paid female tennis player in the world.
Carlos Alcarez – Spain
Carlos Alcaraz is the talk of the town in the tennis world. The 21-year-old has taken the sport by storm and already holds an impressive five records in the sport: Youngest player to win the Miami Open (18); Youngest player to win the Madrid Open (19); Youngest player to become ATP world No.1 (19); Youngest ATP year-end No. 1 (19); and Youngest player to win a Grand Slam singles final on three different surfaces (21).
Fun fact: just one day after his 19th birthday Alcaraz beat Nadal, and one day after that, he beat Djokovic, resulting in him winning the Madrid Open! Unsurprisingly, the young tennis weapon already has an impressive list of sponsorships with Rolex, BMW, and Louis Vuitton, to name a few. In fact, Acaraz is the youngest ever ambassador for Rolex, signing a multi-year deal in July 2023.
Zheng Qinwen – China
Zheng Qinwen recently achieved the highest ranking of her career at no. 7 after placing second at the Australian Open. Zheng set a record as the first Chinese teenager ever to reach a WTA Tour final. She was also awarded WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2022, and Most Improved Player by the WTA in 2023. Although China’s No. 1 tennis player is no longer in the running for Wimbledon, she has made impressive steps and we have no doubt she will return to Wimbledon stronger in the future. Her sponsorships deals so far include Gatorade, Wilson Sporting Goods, Ant Group (Alipay), and Nike.
Jannik Sinner – Italy
Before the star was even globally ranked, Jannick Sinner had signed an ambassador deal for Rolex at just 18-years-old. Later, he signed a deal with Alfa Romeo while ranked at only No. 46. In 2022, he also became the face of Gucci. While at Wimbledon in 2023, the star walked onto the all-white dress coded event with a beige leather Gucci duffle bag, making him the first player to do so. Talk about good marketing Gucci!
Later in 2023, the tennis star joined forces with the world of motor sport and signed a partnership with Formula 1 in a bid to attract a new and different audience to the elite motor racing sport. Although Sinner was born in Italy, he grew up in a German speaking region, making it his first language! However, he later moved to a different area in Italy and can now also speak Italian and English. This gives him great crossover appeal, which puts him in good stead for more sponsorship deals in the future.