SportsBusiness Daily — Sports Business Resources — your sports business news and information source. Learn More

Friday
May 25, 2007
Print This Issue

James Blake Parting Ways With Prince, Returning To Dunlop

James Blake Ends Prince Deal
Early To Return To Dunlop

ATPer James Blake has “separated from Prince rackets and will rejoin Dunlop,” according to sources cited by Daniel Kaplan in next week’s SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. Prince signed Blake in December ’05 and “planned to use Blake as one of its cornerstone marketers for the racket the company dubs O3.” However, Blake “never changed from his Dunlop racket, ... in part because he had just emerged as a top player and did not want to tinker with that success.” Blake “placed Prince logos on his racket and was touted on its Web site” as a spokesperson. Kaplan notes the Blake case “raised questions about the responsibility athletes have to play with equipment they endorse and whether companies should tout stars who use competitors’ products.” Prince noted that it “never maintained that Blake actually played with one of its rackets.” In a statement provided by Prince, Blake said, “I was playing the best tennis of my career and I guess I just wasn’t open to switching” (SBJ, 5/28 issue). CNBC’s Darren Rovell noted Dunlop, which signed Blake out of college in ’99, “exercised an option to terminate him when he fell out of the top 100” in ’05. Blake’s departure from Prince means the brand’s “top American is now Vince Spadea, ranked 64th in the world” (CNBC.com, 5/23).

Print This Article

Get A Free Trial To SportsBusiness Daily

Reader Comments

To post comments on this article, log in or register for a free trial.

Related Stories By Company

Related Stories By Sport

U.K. Panel: Major TV Events Should Be Free
November 16, 2009 : SportsBusiness Daily

Agassi Holds Nothing Back In "Open"
November 12, 2009 : SportsBusiness Daily

Pilot Pen Won't Renew Tennis Sponsorship
November 11, 2009 : SportsBusiness Daily

Murray Signs Five-Year Deal With adidas
November 4, 2009 : SportsBusiness Daily

Judge: Issues Close In Appeal Of ATP Case
November 3, 2009 : SportsBusiness Daily

ALSO IN THIS SECTION

Go To Sports Media

A Publication of Street & Smith's Sports Group.
Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (REVISED 2009-06-23) and Privacy Policy (REVISED 2009-06-23).

© 2009 Street & Smith's Sports Group and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Street & Smith's Sports Group.