When sports stars are reaching the end of their careers, it is always natural to think about what’s next on the horizon. Some opt to remain in their chosen sport and become coaches, while others take the media route. However, for those that wish to pursue a journey elsewhere into the world of business or sponsorships.
Tennis more than most seems to produce media stars rather than business people and coaches.
John McEnroe, Tim Henman, and Chris Evert among many others have taken the journey from the court to the commentary box and have excelled in their roles for many television companies. McEnroe has even branched out further to appear as the narrator in Netflix’s ‘Never Have I Ever’.
Roger Federer is the prime example of a player that has maximised his brand potential.
After playing for the majority of his career in the Nike brand, Federer signed a huge deal with Uniqlo to increase his earning potential. If his post-career earnings were not going to be significant enough, Federer has proved that he can be just as shrewd with his decision-making off the court as he did at the peak of his powers on it.
If that’s not enough he also has deals with Rolex and Mercedes-Benz and has remained loyal to leading brands in his homeland of Switzerland with Credit Suisse and Lindt among his other backers.
The question for players on the verge of retirement is where can they target to make the most out of their branding opportunities when they call time on their careers.
Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are all close to retirement, with the Scot perhaps the first on the docket due to his severe hip problems, although the Spaniard and the Serb will not be far behind. Nadal, in fact, has indicated 2024 will be his final year of tennis if he manages a comeback.
Murray is one of the most marketable athletes in the UK due to his success in ending British tennis’ longstanding wait for a Grand Slam champion. Djokovic and Nadal are two of the most recognisable athletes in the world.
All three will be jostling for major deals, but one area that could be explored is online gambling, which is enjoying a growing presence in tennis. Whether it’s the use of online sports betting or tennis-themed games on online slots, the sport has developed strong ties with the industry, but no player has yet become synonymous with a brand.
You could see a future where a player would have their own branded game for slots on mobile joining famous brands such as Rick and Morty and Deal or No Deal.
There is a huge opportunity there for tennis players in the future. Sports stars in the United States have become ambassadors for a number of sports betting sites, capitalising on the growth of the gambling sector.
It is a potential gap in the market for a tennis player to make the leap, bucking the trend of going down the traditional route of the media or coaching.
If players nearing the end of their careers are not thinking about the chance of expanding their brand, especially considering a large part of audiences that play slot games will be more than familiar with their exploits and reputations.
The opportunity is there, but we’re waiting for the first tennis player to take the plunge.