U.S. Open Names & Faces: Federer's Monogram Showing Up Everywhere

Response To Nike's Federer  Merchandise Has Been Strong

In N.Y., Holly Brubach notes Roger Federer's "RF" monogram this summer has been "everywhere: on his shoes, on his belt tab, on his duffel, on his jackets, on the plastic bags his new rackets come in." Nike is selling a cap and warm-up jacket featuring the monogram, and a company spokesperson said that "despite an appeal that might seem limited at retail, the response has been strong." The idea for the monogram "emerged from the logo that Federer's eventual wife, Mirka Vavrinec, and her father developed for his fragrance, RF-Roger Federer, introduced in 2003." Federer "liked the approach and suggested that Nike come up with a strategy along the same lines." Federer: "For me, it's important that a fan can buy something that is related to me. Like in soccer, you buy a shirt and it's got somebody's name on the back. That's kind of a cool thing" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/31).

SPIRIT OF THE CITY: In N.Y., Cristina Everett reports Federer and fellow Nike endorsers Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams will be wearing "brightly-hued apparel and footwear that evokes the spirit" of N.Y. during the U.S. Open. Federer's "red and black shirt has an embossed dot pattern inspired by New York subway signs, while Nadal's bold look was inspired by the signature yellow taxi cabs in the city." Sharapova's apparel features "asymmetric lines that were inspired by the New York City skyline," and Williams' clothing is "said to have been inspired by cocktail party attire" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/31). Meanwhile, Venus Williams has designed an official U.S. Open T-shirt to be sold at the event. Williams designed the 100% organic cotton shirt as part of her EleVen clothing line, and it will be sold on site at the U.S. Open and at USOpen.org. A portion of the profits from Williams' shirt will benefit Unisphere Inc., which maintains and preserves Flushing Meadows Corona Park, home of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (USTA).

HOT COMMODITY: Andy Roddick's agent Ken Meyerson said he has had "several interesting phone calls regarding potential sponsorship" for Roddick following his five-set loss in the Wimbledon final. Meyerson did not give details, but said of Roddick's Wimbledon performance, "What it certainly did in terms of the exposure and performance was help me solidify, validate and justify keeping all of his current agreements at superstar pricing." BLOOMBERG NEWS' Danielle Rossingh noted Roddick's current sponsors, aside from Arizona Iced Tea, are "mainly based in Europe," including Rolex, Lacoste, SAP AG, Babolat and Lagardere SCA (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 8/28).

KEEPING IT OLD SCHOOL: CNBC's Darren Rovell notes the association between Andy Murray, the No. 2 seed in the U.S. Open, and clothing brand Fred Perry has been a "coup," as Murray is "giving the fashion brand known for its laurel logo -- a good seller in Europe -- worldwide publicity." Murray said, "In sport, a lot of times it does come to down to just the big companies and it's nice to do something a little bit different. As a company, their fashion is great and they've made some nice clothes for me" ("Squawk Box," CNBC, 8/31).

Wilson's Jumbo Tennis Balls Sell Better At U.S. Open Than Australian Open

BEST SELLER: Wilson Sporting Goods Global Manager for Tennis Balls Chris Kushner said the company's jumbo tennis balls popular with autographs seekers are a "much better seller at the U.S. Open" than the Australian Open. In N.Y., John Branch noted Wilson "saves its biggest balls for New York: 11 inches in diameter, two inches bigger than the usual 'jumbo' ball sold at other Wilson-sponsored tournaments." Kushner said that Wilson has been selling the balls at the U.S. Open since '92, and sales "have increased each year." The balls cost $40 this year, and Wilson "expects to sell as many as 8,000 jumbo balls." Kushner: "It's not a huge part of our business, but it's something that's kind of fun and gives us a lot of good P.R. at the events" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/29).

NAMES: In N.Y., Douglas Quenqua, as part of the N.Y. TIMES' "A Night Out With" feature, reported Jelena Jankovic and Zagat co-Founder Tim Zagat recently ate dinner at DBGB Kitchen & Bar in N.Y. The two "had met for the first time that night, but quickly bonded over a mutual love of food, tennis and wisecracks" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/30)....The N.Y. TIMES MAGAZINE's Eric Konigsberg profiles doubles players Bob and Mike Bryan, who are "so inseparable that they share a band, two houses, a car and a bank account." The Bryans "are the closest professional tennis has come to a celebrity doubles team," and they "may also be the best doubles team" in history (N.Y. TIMES MAGAZINE, 8/30 issue).