Japan-based racket manufacturer Yonex is offering to make Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios, who upset No. 1-ranked Rafael Nadal yesterday at Wimbledon, its “highest-paid athlete,” while Kyrgios' current sponsor Nike also is looking to “improve its deal” with him, according to Neil Harman of the LONDON TIMES. Kyrgios reached the final 16 with the win over Nadal after receiving a wild card to enter the tournament. Kyrgios’ manager John Morris said, “People are knocking on the door and commercially this Wimbledon has been great for Nick. Yonex have offered five times what the current deal is, and in those terms, it has gone through the roof. The same with Nike. There are other companies looking to come to the table.” Harman wrote the victory over Nadal could send Kyrgios and tennis in Australia “into orbit” (LONDON TIMES, 7/1). In Australia, Leo Schlink wrote Kyrgios’ “unforgettable Wimbledon debut is likely to trigger million-dollar benefits.” Industry insiders “claim the upgraded Yonex deal would place Kyrgios above” No. 3-ranked Stan Wawrinka in sponsorship earnings (COURIERMAIL.com, 7/1).
TALE OF THE TAPE: In Sydney, Rose Powell notes what looks like a tattoo on Kyrgios "has social media talking." However, it is "not a tattoo," but rather a "type of sports tape." Dynamic Tape, the "brand sported by Kyrgios" at Wimbledon, is made on the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. The tape is used to "support injured body parts without restricting movement" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 7/2).
