While Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios is already signed with Yonex and Nike, his “image as a confident, Tweet-happy athlete blessed with extraordinary talent will have huge appeal for companies seeking to tap into lucrative youth markets” after his “electrifying run at Wimbledon,” according Ian Ransom of REUTERS. Ransom cites marketing experts as saying that Kyrgios' brand "has also shot into the stratosphere" following his win over Rafael Nadal on Tuesday. Sydney-based boutique agency Waterfront Managing Dir Sean Pickwell said the value of Kyrgios’ brand has “probably quadrupled.” Pickwell: "He's got all the right attributes. He's a good kid. He doesn't come across as arrogant. I think potentially he could command a lot more money." Jack Lamacraft, the Dir of ad agency M&C Saatchi’s Sydney office, said, "This might well open up some lucrative commercial opportunities for him in Asia as well.” Ransom notes Kyrgios' “commercial appeal also has an alluring geographical reach, as the son of a Greek-born father and mother of Malaysian heritage.” David Drysdale, who manages fellow Aussie tennis player Lleyton Hewitt, said that how Kyrgios and his management team “handle his career both on and off the court over the next year will be under a lot of scrutiny.” Drysdale: "If they go on a short-term cash grab, that's the probably the worst way they can go.” Kyrgios' manager John Morris, from England-based Global Tennis Connections, has been “vocal about his client's commercial appeal, claiming he can aspire to the same sponsorship heights” as Nadal and Roger Federer (REUTERS, 7/3).
