Rumors of Roger Federer's deal with Uniqlo have dampened for now.GETTY IMAGES
Nike will "continue to provide outfits for Roger Federer" at Wimbledon next week "despite ongoing speculation" that Federer is set for a sponsorship change to Japanese brand Uniqlo, according to Michael Potts of the London EXPRESS. Rumors of the 20-time grand slam champ debuting next week a 10-year deal with Uniqlo that had been valued at $30M have been "dampened for now, with Federer's all-white Wimbledon outfit revealed to be made by Nike" (EXPRESS, 6/27).
LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD: Former Nike Dir of Tennis Marketing Mike Nakajima appeared on this week's “Sports Business Radio Podcast” and said that the top players "have a lot to say" in terms of the product development process. Nakajima singled out Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams, saying, "They have a lot of say in what they wear, and what they wear is a little bit different than what the rest of the group wears." Nakajima: "The top athletes, we do speak with them often -- I would say, maybe, five or six times a year making sure that the product we’re making is something that they’re really going to look forward to wearing. ... They’re the only ones who are going to be wearing it" (“Sports Business Radio Podcast,” AUDIOBOOM, 6/26).
