Andy Murray "is set to be officially crowned the world's leading male tennis player," according to the BBC. Current stats from the ATP indicate that the 29-year-old made more than $10M in prize money this year. But according to figures from business publication Forbes, the Scot made some $15M "from endorsements alone last year," a figure which eclipses his playing earnings. And it is his off-court earnings "where the real financial potential now lies." Branding expert Anastasia Kourovskaia, who has worked with "a number of big names" in the leisure and sporting industry, said, "Being world number one will significantly enhance Murray's brand value. He has always been the challenger, and associated with having tenacity, motivation, and having goals, and not giving up. Also of being the rebel -- the outsider." She added, "We will now have an interesting situation to see which direction his brand will go in. And it will be interesting to see if it has any change on his behavior or the way he acts on court." Kourovskaia said that Murray could continue to "present himself as the challenger brand," but that might seem "less authentic" now that he is in the top spot. She said that should he "want to make a change into a more establishment brand, he was well placed." Kourovskaia: "If, as I suspect, he accepts a more establishment role, that will indeed open up more potential sponsorship opportunities" (BBC, 11/6).
