Tennis undergoes a revival due to its presence in fashion, movies, and TikTok.
The captivating performance of Emma Stone in the movie "Challengers," which revolves around a romantic relationship between three people and features tennis as the backdrop, may give the impression that tennis has become extremely popular lately. However, this sport is actually gaining massive popularity now, making it difficult to avoid.
Tennis' global popularity has skyrocketed, with its superstar players appearing in high-end fashion campaigns by brands such as Louis Vuitton and Loewe, along with magazines like Vogue. Additionally, the trend of #tenniscore TikTok videos has amassed billions of views, and even the aforementioned blockbuster movie, which topped the box office during its opening weekend.
In a sea of high-profile athletes, ESPN decided to include tennis in their lineup and chose Serena Williams, a 23-time grand slam winner, to host this year's ESPY Awards on ABC in July. This showcases tennis' renewed appeal.
Tennis reached its peak amid the 1970s and 80s, but interest resurged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the sport has grabbed the attention of numerous new audiences due to the transfer of power among its top-ranked players, spurring corporate interest from industries like fashion and Hollywood.
But the popularity of tennis isn't limited to passive spectators - many are getting steamed up about this sport too! The United States Tennis Association (USTA) revealed that about 24 million people are actively playing tennis, marking four continuous years of growth.
The brands are acing it
This newfound interest in tennis has led to a significant increase in sponsorships and advertising. According to SponsorUnited, a sports and entertainment research platform, sponsorships surged by 41% in the last year, and advertising for tennis skyrocketed by 40%. This growth rate surpasses that of Major League Baseball (MLB), Major League Soccer (MLS), and even the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Bob Lynch, CEO of SponsorUnited, attributes this surge to a "convergence of a few important factors," including growing television ratings for the Tennis Channel and major tournaments, the Netflix docuseries "Break Point," and the growth of tennis players' social media presence.
As a sport that plays almost year-round, tennis boasts a diverse, international fan base, allowing brands to target specific audiences with specific interests.
If you're looking to promote tourism in Switzerland, who better than Roger Federer to partner with? The nation's tennis ace starred in a campaign for that very purpose, and a viral ad featuring Anne Hathaway amassed over 100 million views on YouTube. Or, say you're aiming to advertise to an affluent demographic - that explains all the banking logos at Roland Garros in Paris.
And with a changing of the guard in the world's top-ranked players, especially among the male contenders, like Rafael Nadal's impending retirement and Novak Djokovic's recent struggles, opportunities emerge for rising stars. Names like Carlos Alcaraz, a 21-year-old who won the 2023 Wimbledon, and Iga Świątek, a 22-year-old Polish athlete who has already claimed four grand slam titles, are taking center stage as the next generation of stars.
"Digitally native and content-savvy younger players like Coco Gauff are becoming more prominent," Lynch said. "Fans now have more access to tennis athletes' personal lives and interests due to the increased social exposure they receive. This allows players to be more influential to fans and brands."
Gauff's Instagram page, with nearly 2 million followers, showcases her various sponsors and personal content. Examples include her agreement with Barilla, a pasta maker that signed her in 2019, and her involvement in a Microsoft commercial about using technology to help practice tennis.
How players are banking it
One of Gauff's sponsors is New Balance, which endorses her and provides her with on-court outfits. Gauff even designed a lineup of shoes with the company.
When Gauff won her first grand slam in 2022, not only was she wearing a New Balance outfit created specifically for the US Open, but after winning, she donned a "Call Me Champion" t-shirt, which sold out in a matter of hours. However, she is just one of the few athletes that New Balance has deals with, trailing bigger outfits like Nike and Adidas.
"We say no a lot," acknowledges Evan Zeder, the director of global sports marketing for New Balance's tennis and baseball divisions. "We're not interested in just signing a bunch of athletes."
The professional tennis players, even ones like Tommy Paul who ranks at 14th in the men's category, receive different kinds of payments from New Balance. This includes cash retainers and bonuses, as well as clothing and footwear to wear both on and off the court. Tennis stands out from other sports because the player serves as a brand ambassador, showcasing their sponsor from head to toe since it's largely an individual sport.
New Balance is selective in choosing the players they sponsor, trusting their gear to perform at the highest levels in the sport while avoiding any public relations disasters that are common in baseball. They're simply waiting for the right opportunities. "As a sponsor, the opportunity to storytell with the athletes is more unique than any other sport out there because they're not wearing a team or jersey, they're wearing New Balance," said a spokesperson for the company.
Lacoste is a luxury French brand that has been connected with tennis since its inception in 1933. Their founder, René Lacoste, created the iconic "polo shirt" with tennis in mind. Lacoste's iconic crocodile logo adorns the clothing of two major tennis stars who faced each other in the 2023 US Open men's final - Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev. The polo shirts made by Lacoste have become a major part of the popular "tennis aesthetic."
"Tennis has always been associated with elegance, including from a sartorial perspective," says Catherine Spindler, Lacoste's Deputy CEO. Sister brand, Lacoste Live, also benefits from this trend. Actor and singer Zendaya has been seen wearing a custom-made Lacoste silhouette ensemble, which proves how influential tennis has been for fashion.
Zendaya's ensemble at her "Challengers" press stop in Australia is an example of the inspiration tennis delivers to the fashion world.
But it's not just the clothing market that tennis appeals to - it also attracts premium alcohol brands. For instance, the Australian Open features Aperol Spritz cocktails, while Roland Garros in Paris is known for its Moët & Chandon champagne. And don't miss out on the US Open's iconic Honey Deuce cocktail, a mix of Grey Goose vodka, lemonade, and Chambord topped with a honeydew melon ball. 2023 saw a record-breaking 450,000 of these drinks sold. Brands like Maestro Dobel, a tequila company that's been in the US market since 2008, find this an opportunity to introduce themselves to American drinkers by sponsoring tennis events.
"We haven’t entered this industry overnight," says Lander Otegui, the Chief Marketing Officer for Proximo. "We've sponsored tournaments in Mexico for more than a decade, and recently expanded to other countries like Miami, Indian Wells, and Cincinnati. These events always lead to an uptick in sales for us." The demographic of tennis fans is broad, ranging in age, but the luxury and affluence associated with the sport connects perfectly with the brand's audience.
Otegui didn't reveal the financial details of sponsoring a tournament but mentioned that it's a "multi-million dollar investment." The money goes towards annual fees, event-exclusive displays, and luxurious suites at major tournaments. Proximo's US Open suite in Arthur Ashe Stadium, the main court, saw celebrities like Charlize Theron and Katie Holmes attend, further elevating the brand's image.
"It's been an incredible few years for tennis, with massive attendance at events. The sport is in a great place, and it's also helped us establish our presence in it," says Otegui. The desire for growth hasn't changed - the USTA aims to increase the number of players to 35 million in the US over the next decade, or 10% of the population.
Tennis's growing popularity continues to draw more brands to the sports scene, solidifying the links between the tennis world and the athletes who dominate it.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
