Roger Federer yesterday in the second round at Wimbledon defeated world No. 772 Marcus Willis, who "embraced his moment in the sun," but now his financial gains "may be encumbered by the very Brexit news he helped his countrymen forget for a few days," according to Evan Grossman of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. USC Sports Business Institute Exec Dir David Carter said, "If he plays it properly, to include remaining authentic and a breath of fresh air, his 15 minutes of fame can be extended. He has the opportunity to be an aspirational figure, and some brands may feel that is compelling in terms of utilizing him in their marketing campaigns.” But Baruch College professor Marc Edelman said, “Unfortunately what has happened in the British market the last week, it is possible that some of the largest British brands will be cutting their marketing budgets rather than expanding them" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/30).
PLAYING CATCH-UP: The FINANCIAL TIMES' Murad Ahmed notes despite holding the top ranking in the world, Novak Djokovic "lags behind" Federer as the "highest earning player in the sport, unable to match the Swiss star’s off-court activities with corporate sponsors." Djokovic has earned $55.8M this year, $21.8M in salary and winnings with $34M more in sponsorship. By comparison, Federer has earned $67.8M, just $7.8M in winnings but $60M in endorsements. Federer's sponsors include Rolex, Mercedes-Benz, champagne brand Moet & Chandon, banking group Credit-Suisse, chocolate brand Lindt and coffee machine maker Jura. Djokovic’s sponsors include Uniqlo, adidas, Head, Australasian bank ANZ, carmaker Peugeot and watch brand Seiko. But industry experts said that Djokovic' "continuing on-court success should lead to more commercial opportunities." Uniqlo, which sponsors only a handful of players, said it "hopes to renew" its contract with Djokovic after it expires this year (FINANCIAL TIMES, 6/30).
