Who are the main financial backers and supporters of tennis?

There is no doubt that certain brands have a stronger connection to tennis than others, either because they were founded in tennis circles or simply because they support top players.

Three main types of sponsors dominate the tennis landscape, all involved in making sure players are equipped with the best gear and look good too.

When analyzing tennis’s most popular sponsors, sportswear companies have jumped on the bandwagon of new gear and shoes for players.

Clothing and shoes aside, the next major category of sponsorship is no surprise as all players need at least one club and most have a bag full of their weapons of choice fully sponsored.

Another tennis tradition that has created a niche for brands is the awards ceremony, where players traditionally wear a watch sponsored by a luxury watchmaker.

Wilson

According to analysts global data, racket manufacturers Wilson stands out as the brand with the most sponsored high-profile tennis players.

Roger Federers final racket was chosen by Wilson who also supplies the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas, Maria Sakkar, Aryna Sabalenka and Borna Coric to name but a few of the many.

Founded in Chicago, Illinois, Wilson Sporting Goods manufactures all types of sports related equipment, supplying sports such as baseball, badminton, American football, basketball, softball, golf, racquetball, soccer, squash, tennis, pickleball and volleyball.

Nike

Nike supplies more players with footwear than any other brand by a country mile.

They have a long association with sports as one of the leading sports footwear manufacturers in the world.

The Nike Air Zoom Vapor series is one of the most popular shoes among tennis professionals.

Rolex

Rolex and tennis first met when the brand partnered with the Wimbledon Championships in 1978, when tennis was undergoing a powerful transformation, the watchmakers themselves say of the partnership.

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The brand gradually established connections with all the elite competitions in the sport. Rolex is now a partner in four Grand Slam tournaments, all men’s and women’s matches, as well as leading international team competitions.

Rolex also has sponsorship deals with a number of top players, including current world number 1s for both men and women, Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek.

Yonex

Founded in Japan, Yonex has built a global reputation among the best racket manufacturers in the industry.

They have expanded their tennis offering to include shoes and other clothing.

Among their top sponsors are 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and Casper Ruud.

Babolat

Babolat’s relationship with tennis stretches back to the birth of the modern sport.

They pioneered the first natural gut strings for tennis rackets and have been the sport’s supplier ever since.

Babolat supplies rackets to Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal and other top players.

READ MORE: Who are Rafael Nadals sponsors?

Lacoste

Another quintessential tennis brand, Lacoste, was a brand that started as a company for players by players.

Unique, bold but always stylish, Lacoste has become a sought-after fashion brand.

They sponsor Novak Djokovic and dress Daniil Medvedev from head to toe and offer special collections inspired by both players.

HEAD

Another premium racquet brand with the biggest names on their books, the HEADs Speed ​​range of racquets has been endorsed by none other than Novak Djokovic.

Andrey Rublev, Jannik Sinner and Taylore Fritz all use HEAD rackets, as do WTA stars Coco Gauff and Martina Trevisan.

HEAD, originally a ski equipment company, also helped promote the use of new lightweight materials, which has allowed the sport to leap into the future.

ASICS

ASICS can claim to make the best tennis shoes on the market, to the extent that some players have even suggested that they can give one a significant advantage.

Despite the fact that Iga Swiatek left the company as a sponsor, the world number one still wears their shoes because he is not as happy with the shoes of the new brands.

ASICS also supplies shoes to Novak Djokovic, building their entire range around his custom versions of the FF3 tennis shoes.

Dunlop

Dunlop is well known as a ball supplier, but they also have a stake in the club and apparel business.

Rising British star Jack Draper is one of the top athletes supported by Dunlop.

Dunlop is also supporting the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy and the IMG Tennis Academy as they look to the future of the sport.

Fila, which has long been associated with tennis, is now the favorite brand of many top players such as Marin Cilic, John Isner and Karolina Pliskova.

The world-famous sports brand has appeared in tennis for decades.

Originally just a small local clothing company in the Italian Alps, Fila got into sportswear with the major sponsorship of Bjorn Borg in the 1970s.

Article Tennis sponsors: Who are the main financial supporters and supporters of tennis? appeared first on Tennis365.com.