Novak Djokovic

Tennis players are the most lucrative faces for marketing campaigns both domestically and abroad. For example, the world’s number two Roger Federer, who has won over 44.5 million dollars of tournament prize money alone, is among the wealthiest athletes in the world, while his sponsorship deals surpass the above sum comfortably.

Forbes Magazine conducted a research and consequently published that the Swiss tennis giant has earned $35m in the past 12 months from sponsorship contracts alone. The second place in the list is taken by Maria Sharapova, who has improved her bank account balance by $26m, despite the fact she has been away from tennis for six months already through injury. Serbia’s Novak Djokovic assumes the place number eight with $9.5m, followed by Ana Ivanovic with eight million dollars.
Bearing in mind Novak has received $10,507,627 of tournament prize money and additional $9.5m off court, the sum adds up to over 20 million. At 21, the Serb is already picking the fruits of the profession, whether or not his endeavours are strictly associated with tennis. Djokovic’s family are also benefiting from the golden boy’s tennis stardom, and have arranged to organize a first ATP event in Serbia next year; they are planning to build a grandiose tennis academy in Serbia, while their personal enterprises are booming. The restaurant at Kopaonik mountain has been joined by the latest hype place – a club conveniently named Novak. Djokovic has had a number of profitable sponsorship deals. The latest addition to the list is the Croatian supermarket chain Idea, while Novak is said to have received around €300,000 for the advertising campaign. His sponsors are also BMW Serbia, Hypo Alpe Adria Bank (€200,000 annually), Gala Voda, as well as Telekom Srbija, who contribute €300,000 per year. The winner of the 2008 Australian Open is also one of the faces of the Adidas company, who have announced the production of a tennis racquet specially designed for Novak Djokovic. His contract with the racquet manufacturer Wilson will soon expire, while their competitors Head and Babolat have already launched an offensive to try and win the Serbian tennis star over, which might cost them $4.5m.
Ana Ivanovic earns enormous sums of money through sponsorship deals and TV commercials for various companies. Having reached the tennis stardom with the win at the Roland Garros this summer and a subsequent short-lived WTA rankings position number one, Ivanovic has become a magnet for businesses wanting to use her face and name.
Ivanovic has signed a four-year contract with Yonex, a tennis racquet manufacturer, who now place her name on their own athletic apparel range. Ivanovic was rewarded with additional $10m for ascending the WTA rankings to place No. 1. As CNBC TV channel reports, the Serb will receive the same amount in the future if she manages to stay as the world’s number one for a period of two years. Ivanovic further receives a considerable sum from Adidas, who are drafting a contract that would tie her to the German apparel giant until the end of her career. The deal will represent an extremely lucrative venture for Ivanovic and it has already been dubbed on her official web page as “the biggest deal since Steffi Graf retired from tennis”. Ivanovic has also broken a sponsorship record in Serbia, as automobile dealer Verano Motors have granted her with the biggest ever financial support for a domestic athlete, while the exact sum is speculated to be in the vicinity of three million dollars.
According to the estimates of US experts, Ivanovic could earn up to $100m in the next ten years, but the scenario is highly unlikely as she would constantly have to be on top of the WTA rankings and win all major tournaments. However, she does have a guaranteed annual income of $3.5m if she meets the minimal requirements in terms of expected results, while the sum could rise for another $5.5m to $6m worth of bonuses. This presents the current offer, while other major companies, such as Nike are awaiting the outcome of the negotiations, ready to pounce on their opportunity to snatch Ivanovic. As a comparison, Serena Williams earns a maximum of $56m for a five-year deal, but the American has failed to get to the maximum amount due to the fact she is not the WTA number one, causing the company to move on in search of other attractive faces.
Ana’s break into the Asian market is another topic of speculation, as companies such as Li Ning, Peak and Anta are all eager cooperate with her. Tennis is the second most popular sport among the young in China, and according to the estimate of the country’s Ministry of Sport, it is played by around two million people at least twice a week. It is expected that by 2010 tennis will be played by at least six million Chinese people, and it is clear what kind of opportunity is presenting itself for Ana.
Moreover, both Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic have dresses designed specially for them, while sponsors and marketing agents are elaborate in their dedication to the minutest of details of the two girls’ appearances. Just to illustrate, Jankovic’s matchday dress was shortened by five centimetres at the insistence of her German designers ahead of the Miami Open this spring.
Jankovic is well aware of this aspect of being a pro player and strives to make every single entrance into a tennis arena as glamorous as possible. She does business with Reebok, while under the contract, her dresses tailored by the apparel company’s own designers are not to be mistaken for any other Reebok tennis skirt worn by other players. Similar to an NBA star, the world’s number one wears her own tennis shoes, bearing the inscription “Jelena J” and a little heart – Jankovic’s own trademark symbol. Replicas of Jelena’s Reebok skirts are typically sold out in no time once they hit the sports boutiques’ stalls, but the shoes are an unattainable collector’s item, as they cannot be found in retail. The British company and Jankovic are on a two-year contract, which was signed at the time when the Serbian star was among the world’s top 15 players. The amount Jankovic is paid by Reebok is undisclosed and can be subject to speculation, but it is certain the sum is significantly smaller than the money which was once granted to Amelie Mauresmo, Reebok’s biggest star at the time. However, tables have turned in the women’s game and Jankovic is now the world’s number one and is bound to be the top choice of all sports apparel manufacturers in the days to come. The same goes for racquets, as Prince end their partnership with Jankovic towards the end of December and the contract is now expected to be redrafted under much more favourable conditions for Jankovic. Meanwhile, Jelena and Hyundai have terminated their contract, while those with Mona fashion line and Aqua Viva bottled water company are still valid. As one of the most attractive tennis players, leggy Jelena Jankovic has been targeted for fashion shows, and Roberto Cavalli has expressed his wish to see Jelena wearing his latest models. The love is mutual.
Stakic: Results determine value
Why tennis players are much-desired faces in the world of advertising and what determines the value of their sponsorship contracts is explained by Petar Stakic, associate of Zozef Loncar, CEO of Mark Plan agency and editor of the business magazine Tabu.
- “They alone, aided and financed by their parents, have achieved all this and created these fine results, which are a magnet for a financial support from various companies. Besides trophies, their behaviour out of court is also important, and it’s especially positive if you are a showman like Novak Djokovic. Jelena Jankovic has been interested in fashion since she was a kid and it makes sense that she is working with a label like that. The same goes when she advertises a car – the prospective buyers will trust her and decide to by the particular model she endorses. Ana Ivanovic’s contract is said to be valued at €3m, but it has yet to be confirmed as this kind of information is withheld in Serbia and not only in sport.”

source: Blic