In the space of 18 months, tennis player Nick Kyrgios has become Australia's "most marketable athlete," according to Michael Chammas of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. Figures from sports market researchers Repucom showed that Kyrgios has the "highest level of appeal of any Australian sportsperson, also topping the charts in the breakthrough and trend-setter categories." The 20-year-old now has more marketing appeal in Australia than Socceroos player Tim Cahill and F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo. The world No. 26 is "renowned for his on-court flair, but it's his style and swagger off the court that has sponsors lining up to be part of what he has termed #NKRising." Kyrgios already has a sponsorship deal with Nike, but he recently "signed a deal with Beats By Dre -- which is also affiliated with LeBron James and Serena Williams." At the start of the year, Kyrgios also signed with management company IMG. Kyrgios is "in the top five of six of the eight key indicators" Repucom used to determine someone's Celebrity DBI, which is a measure of public perception toward a celebrity.
Repucom's Key Market Research Indicators -- Australia's Top Athletes Appeal:
1. Nick Kyrgios
2. Daniel Ricciardo
3. Snowboarder Torah Bright
4. Tim Cahill
5. Tennis player Samantha Stosur (SMH, 6/28).
