Wimbledon is almost here, and as Center Court celebrates 100 years of action, the world’s most decorated players are preparing to capture the public’s attention – it’s exactly where their commercial sponsors want them to be .
However, given Wimbledon’s strict rules regarding advertising at the event, tennis sponsors are forced to be a bit more inventive to help build brand awareness.
Therefore, companies are looking for stars to use on social media to spread awareness of their brand. After all, it’s no coincidence that the Castore logo appears in many Andy Murray Instagram posts and Serena Williams’ on-court snaps always feature a Nike checkmark.
With this in mind, physical branding experts Solo press looked at the endorsement deals, Instagram presence and on-court successes of the world’s biggest tennis stars to find out who the most popular tennis influencers are.
Wimbledon is almost here and the world’s most decorated tennis stars are gearing up to catch the public eye again this summer
| Ranking | Last name | Followers | 2021 results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Serena Williams | 14.8m | $45.9 million |
| 2 | Rafael Nadal | 14.5m | $27 million |
| 3 | Novak Djokovic | 10.6m | $33 million |
| 4 | Roger Federer | 9.3m | $90.6 million |
| 5 | Naomi Osaka | 2.8m | $60.1 million |
| 6 | Emma Raducanu | 2.3m | $2.1 million |
| seven | Nick Kyrgios | 2m | $1–10 million (estimated) |
| 8 | Andy Murray | 1.8m | $10-15 million (estimated) |
SERENA WILLIAMS
Having become a household name and the face of tennis, Serena Williams is not only the most successful female tennis player of the Grand Slam era, but also the most marketable. She has won nearly $95m (£78m) in prize money over two decades, more than double that of any other female athlete.
Williams has a long list of corporate partners, from Aston Martin to Pepsi, and luxury watchmakers Audemars Piguet.
Although she is in the twilight of an impressive career, Williams continues to have a growing presence off the court following the release of the Oscar-winning biopic King Richard in 2021. Her 2021 earnings totaled $45.9 million ( £37.5m) – almost entirely from sponsorships.
RAFAEL NADAL
The “King of Clay” is one of the most decorated tennis players of all time and has the most followers of all male tennis players. According to Forbes, Nadal earned $27m (£22m) in 2021, of which $23m (£19m) came from sponsorships.
Commanding $1million (£817,750) per public appearance at exhibitions and events, Nadal recently added beer brand Amstel to his list of sponsors, alongside carmakers KIA, high-end watchmakers Richard Mille and Nike.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
Djokovic continues to be one of tennis’ most marketable influencers, despite losing major sponsors Peugeot and UKG in 2022 (potentially due to his controversial stance on the COVID-19 vaccine).
Djokovic has racked up $155m (£94m) in career prize money, the highest figure ever, and has yet to earn more than $33m (£27m) in 2021 via sponsorship deals, cash prizes and appearance fees.
He is still associated with top brands such as Hublot, Head, Asics and Raiffeisen Bank, not to mention a lucrative deal with Lacoste which could bring in up to $10m (£8) a year with winning bonuses .
ROGER FEDERER
After earning $131m (£107m) in prize money during a glittering career, Federer has also landed the most lucrative sponsorship deals in men’s tennis.
He has raised almost $900m (£736m) through brand partnerships during his career. In 2021 alone, Federer raked in $90m (£73.6m) in endorsement deals.
In 2016, he renewed his 10-year contract with Rolex, worth $9m (£7.36m) a year. He’s also making $5m (£4m) a year from another 10-year contract with Mercedes-Benz and bringing him a new car every 6 months, which expires in 2027.
Federer has also worked alongside French champagne maker Moët & Chandon since 2012.
NAOMI OSAKA
Boasting an extensive portfolio of sponsors, Osaka is undoubtedly one of the most marketable tennis stars in the world.
Current partnerships include working with high-end watchmaker Tag Heuer and fashion house Louis Vuitton, as well as Nike, Panasonic and Mastercard.
Osaka set the record for annual earnings for a female athlete in 2020 with $37m (£30m) before exploding that figure with $60m (£49m) in 2021 – and $55m dollars (£45m) of that figure was down. to its sponsorship agreements.
EMMA RADUCANU
Britain’s newest star, Raducanu, burst into the public consciousness in 2021, winning the US Open aged 18. Her influence as an influencer immediately skyrocketed, becoming the face of global luxury brands Tiffany and Dior.
Raducanu continued to sign shrewd sponsorship deals to increase her public perception, partnering with Evian, Nike and Wilson, while also becoming a brand ambassador for car manufacturers Porsche.
With the world at his feet, expect to see Raducanu as the face of more brands in the future!
NICK KYRGIOS
The eccentric Aussie Kyrgios also happens to be one of the hottest properties in tennis, heralding his arrival on the biggest stage with a combination of newsworthy explosions and bold, nonchalant strokes.
Kyrgios stepped up his lineup of endorsement deals in 2021 after signing top US agent Stuart Duguid, and has since signed deals with PlayStation, KIA and Old El Paso.
Having racked up more than $8.5m (£7m) in prize money throughout his career so far, his annual earnings could reach $10m (£8m) thanks to his new sponsorships.
ANDY MURRAY
Britain’s most decorated tennis player in history, Murray ranks fourth in all-time earnings with over $60m (£49m). The two-time Wimbledon winner has benefited from sponsorship deals with Under Armor and Adidas, and now represents Castore on the pitch.
Murray’s list of corporate partners includes Swiss watch brand Rado, Jaguar and American Express. On the pitch, the Scot uses Head racquets and has appeared in a number of advertisements for the brand.
With 25.8 million people watching Wimbledon live on BBC TV and a combined total of 29.4 million streams on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport, Wimbledon 2021 was the most streamed Wimbledon to date. It’s no surprise that the tournament is a sponsor’s dream, given the scale of the event and the huge impact a strong outing at Wimbledon can have on a sponsor’s brand awareness. .
Wimbledon 2022 is anyone’s game – we could yet see another unknown qualifier dive deep into the tournament like Emma Raducanu did at the US Open. In that case, expect their sponsorship deals and corporate partnerships to skyrocket.
Glen Eckett, Marketing Director of Solopress, commented: “At Wimbledon, the media presence of world tennis stars is enhanced, making it the perfect opportunity for brand partnerships to maximize return on investment.
“Players are first and foremost using social media to good effect, posting images of actual physical brands to help build brand awareness. The reach and cultural significance of these images is increased by the hype of Wimbledon – the perfect storm that corporate sponsors can take advantage of.
