Up-And-Coming French Tennis Player Inks Deal With Nike

Monfils Nets Lucrative Deal With Nike

Nike has inked a guaranteed deal with French junior tennis player Gael Monfils for over $2M, according to sources of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL’s Daniel Kaplan. Sources described the deal, which pays Monfils about $500,000 annually for four-to-five years, “as one of the top deals ever given to a male player entering the pro ranks.” Andy Roddick’s first contract with Reebok in ’99 was worth $250,000 annually. Kaplan writes Monfils is “already attracting comparisons to [former ATPer] Yannick Noah, another black Frenchman who was popular in this country” (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 1/17 issue).

SECOND SERVE: SFX Sports Group has signed 18 year-old tennis player Scott Oudsema to an exclusive agreement. SFX agent Colin Smeeton will rep Oudsema (SFX).