5 tennis stars who left Nike in favor of other brands ft. Roger Federer and Sloane StephensÂ
Roger Federer and Sloane Stephens are among the few tennis players who left Nike and went on to partner up with other brands.
Nike is a leading sportswear brand in tennis and one of the leading ones in the world of sports. They usually sponsor the top players in the world. However, there are some criteria Nike takes into account while deciding upon the list of players it would sponsor.
For example, they consider the player's performance in general and participation in major tournaments before renewing the contract. They also usually recognize potential among talented and upcoming youngsters by giving them endorsements.
A number of tennis superstars have failed to fulfill Nike's criteria for the renewal of their contract with the brand or have decided to switch to some other sponsor. In this article, we will take a look at five such players:
#5. Andrey Rublev:
Rublev has been a top 10 player consistently during the past few years and takes part in tournaments quite frequently. Hence, it came as a surprise when Nike decided against renewing their contract with the 26-year-old in 2023.
Rublev launched a brand named "Rublo" in the same year and has been sporting its clothes since. The Russian said,
"We been working on something important and close to me .... And we would like to share with you something that can be bigger then just a brand, something that can help people, planet. Something that will be a symbol of hope and kindness."
He keeps performing well at the top level and it seems to have been Nike's loss.
#4. Marketa Vondrousova:
Vondrousova became the first unseeded woman in the Open Era to win the Wimbledon title when she won it in 2023. Prior to that, Nike decided to sever their ties with her in 2022 after the latter had to endure a long injury lay-off.
However, after winning the title, she struck a deal with the Swedish clothing brand, J. Lindeberg, and continues to be sponsored by them.
#3. Belinda Bencic:
Bencic was another player who ended her relationship with Nike in 2023. She had been sponsored by the American giant since 2017 and ended the six-year-long association after coming back from an injury last year.
The Swiss woman started a new deal with Japanese giant Asics in 2023, becoming their ambassador a month after World No. 1, Iga Swiatek left the role. She has been continuing the association since then.
#2. Sloane Stephens:
Stephens is another WTA player who was dropped by Nike. She won the US Open in 2017 and subsequently agreed to a deal with Nike in 2018. However, her form and ranking dropped after that and she had to endure an underwhelming period.
The American woman is currently being sponsored by American clothing retailer, Free People Movement. Their contract started in January 2023. There was no official announcement from either Nike or Stephens about the end of the contract between them, but it was implied by the start of Stephens' new sponsorship deal.
#1. Roger Federer:
Federer remains the biggest name in tennis that has parted ways with Nike. He joined Japanese brand Uniqlo in 2018 after a long-term association with the American company. Federer also created the famous "RF" with Nike, which was being registered as a trademark by the latter.
However, Federer was offered a much heftier sum by Uniqlo. While Nike offered him $10 million, Uniqlo offered three times as much, making Federer one of the richest sportspersons on the planet even during the twilight of his career.