The Men’s Draw: Can Federer Tap Mainstream America?

Federer Looking To Increase Marketing Presence In U.S.

In an examination of the marketability of Roger Federer, SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL’s Daniel Kaplan wonders whether America will “embrace one of the world’s most dominating athletes.” E-Score, which polls consumer awareness of athletes, found that only 8% of Americans recognize Federer’s face and 16% recognize his name. Federer has a ten-year, $15M deal with Rolex and a $2M annual deal with Wilson, and his IMG agent, Tony Godsick, “is urging all of his companies to promote him in the [U.S.].” Jura, the Swiss coffee machine maker that signed Federer this year, “plans an American ad push with a U.S. licensee this fall.” ESPN Dir of Programming & Acquisitions Jason Bernstein said Federer is “neck and neck with [Americans James Blake and Andy Roddick] in terms of ratings performance.” Observers maintain that Federer “needs to play here more, perhaps even live in the U.S. part time.” But Federer said, “I have been on David Letterman, did the ESPN commercials, did the Vogue photo shoots. I speak to all the papers like USA Today and Sports Illustrated. ... But there is only so much I can do” (SBJ, 8/28 issue). Meanwhile, the FINANCIAL TIMES’ Colin Cameron wrote Federer’s Nike Wimbledon blazer and subsequent U.S. Open jacket “may herald a further foray into fashion ... or perhaps, even, an extended clothes range.” Tennis “is unsurpassed as a basis for launching leisure wear,” having sustained three named brands: Lacoste, Fred Perry and Sergio Tacchini. Octagon VP Clifford Bloxham: “The court is the perfect showcase. You are in vision for hours along, largely, with just one other person. Only golf can compete and then you are out of shot for minutes at a time” (FINANCIAL TIMES, 8/26).

NADAL: IMG’s Carlos Costa said his client, Rafael Nadal, has worldwide agreements with Nike, Kia Motors and Time Force watches. In his native Spain, he has deals with Cola Cao, a chocolate company, and a fragrance called Sport Man by Rafael Nadal. Nadal also has a racquet agreement with Babolat. Nadal was offered a spot among People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful,” but he “turned it down to focus on his game.” ATP Senior Dir of Promotions Benito Perez-Barbadillo, who manages Nadal’s PR activities, said, “If he did not play well, and he had been in People Magazine, he would have gotten killed in Spain” (Greg Abel, SBJ, 8/28). USA TODAY’s Douglas Robson writes Nadal “tweaked his summer schedule to peak in [N.Y.], playing fewer events to stay fresh and remaining in North America to train and practice.” Nadal: “It is important to play well at the big events, and the one in [N.Y.] is big, very big.” USA Network tennis analyst Jim Courier said, “Nadal’s energy will suit the [N.Y.] crowd. People like to see blood, sweat and guts on the court. He lets you in like very few players do” (USA TODAY, 8/28).

AMERICAN DREAMS: In N.Y., Mike Lupica wrote, “The best U.S. Open isn’t the one where [Federer and Nadal] play their third final of the year in a major. The best U.S. Open is the one where Andy Roddick makes a run. It would be the best thing for men’s tennis, it would be the best thing for American tennis, it would be the best thing for the Open” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/27). Also in N.Y., Mike Vaccaro writes of Roddick and Blake playing well, “For the Open’s sake, that needs to happen. Because without them, and without [Andre Agassi, who is retiring after the Open], the Open is in danger of going back to where it was in the decades before the advent of open tennis — a splendid showcase of elite tennis players that tennis fans will enjoy, but an event that will make the casual fan’s eyes glaze over” (N.Y. POST, 8/27). The DAILY NEWS’ Julian Kesner notes Blake, the “top U.S. hope for winning the Open this year,” has sponsorship deals with Evian, Nike and Prince, a “devout traveling fan club,” the No. 5 worldwide ranking and career winnings of more than $3M (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/28).

KEEP UP: Starting today, SportsBusiness Journal’s tennis writer, Daniel Kaplan, will be blogging from the U.S. Open. Our coverage starts back a few days to encompass all the parties and events that lead up to the Open. Feel free to e-mail Dan any time.