Asics inked Novak Djokovic to a global footwear deal, and the Japanese company will start activating around the new partnership in Melbourne during the lead up to the Australian Open, which starts Monday. Asics declined to disclose terms of the contract. Djokovic last year signed with Lacoste for apparel, but left the footwear category open. It is not uncommon in tennis for athletes to sign separate contracts for footwear and apparel. “For us, of course, we want to be number one in the tennis footwear globally, and partnering with Novak is a great part of the strategy to win this category,” said Asics CMO Paul Miles, who added Asics is the No. 1 tennis footwear brand in several European markets. Miles negotiated the deal for Asics.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN DEBUT: Djokovic will begin wearing the shoes at the Australian Open. Asics plans a digital and social media global campaign around the Serbian star, Miles said. Asics already has several top tennis players under contract, including Coco Vandeweghe, David Goffin and Gaël Monfils. Those deals are for both footwear and apparel. Djokovic, the former world No. 1, is currently ranked 14th in the world. He is represented by IMG, a division of Endeavor.
