"I think people can relate to Rafa Nadal; Roger Federer makes the game look easy" - Andy Roddick
Discussing the marketability of players, Andy Roddick explained the qualities that made Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal attractive for sponsorships and endorsements. The Swiss maestro has the ability to make the game of tennis look easy while people can relate to the Spaniard and the effort he puts in, the American stated.
The former World No. 1, in a conversation with Boardroom, discussed the marketability of players, particularly the qualities that got him various deals during his playing days and after his retirement.
"I could serve really well, but beyond that I was pretty average. Roger [Federer] makes the game look easy. I think people can relate to Rafa [Nadal] because it looks like there’s more effort put in. I think mixing in with the New York crowd, I don’t think people ever had to guess what my effort level was gonna be. There was a chance I would break something. I was pretty flawed," Roddick said.
"Also, I think I was pretty honest. I think that maybe resonated pretty well. I wasn’t scared to say something or make something known if I had an opinion. Having my best results at Wimbledon and the US Open, which are probably the tournaments that corporations look at the most, was beneficial," he added.
Roddick also credited his compatriots for providing him with the platform to get the best sponsorships and endorsements.
"I didn’t have a shoe and clothing deal, that was a weird position to be in when you’re No. 2 in the world" - Andy Roddick
Despite a multitude of sponsorship deals throughout his career, Andy Roddick came very close to not having a clothing or shoe sponsor at the peak of his career. The 40-year-old, who was then with Reebok, found himself two weeks away from the expiry of his existing contract without a new one in place.
"I was with Reebok and I wore that right through 2004. We actually had a deal in place where we were gonna extend that relationship. I think I was No. 2 in the world. It was early 2005. We kind of had a handshake deal on extending that relationship. And then it kind of went cold out of nowhere. And I didn’t really know what the deal was. In April I didn’t have a shoe and clothing deal anymore. That was a weird position to be in when you’re No. 2 in the world," he stated.
Andy Roddick in what must have been the last straw with Reebok at the 2004 US Open. He soon said Bonjour Lacoste http://t.co/N2nVrsVG0m
The 2003 US Open champion later found out that the reason behind that was the merger between Adidas and Reebok, following which the German brand wasn't willing to take on any new long-term contracts.
"What I didn’t know is about the merger between Reebok and Adidas. Adidas acquiring Reebok was going through and they didn’t want to take on any new long-term contracts. So I kind of got stuck in the cross-hairs of that," he explained.
However, a deal with Lacoste was quickly agreed upon, which saw him transition to the French brand.
"We were able to get a deal done with Lacoste pretty quickly. We were under the gun and they had decided that they really wanted to invest in the U.S. market. So I was pretty lucky. Most deals take six months or a year to get together. This one was done start to finish in about 10 days. I got my Lacoste stuff maybe three days before I played Rome. They didn’t even make the type of stuff I wanted, it was pretty cobbled together but it ended up working," he said.
Andy Roddick and Bloomies fashion directors at 59th street for @LACOSTE http://t.co/Swx4Ir56