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TOKYO, Japan — Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori renewed his endorsement deal with Fast Retailing Co.'s Uniqlo clothing brand, according to two people familiar with the agreement.
An announcement will be made Friday, the people said, asking not to be named because the agreement hasn’t been made public. The deal may exceed $10 million a year, according to one of the people.
The 26-year-old made history in the 2014 U.S. Open by becoming the first Asia-born man to reach the finals of a Grand Slam tournament. Nishikori’s success vaulted him to fame in Japan and helped him win endorsements from the likes of Jaguar, TAG Heuer and Japanese construction materials maker Lixil Group Corp., a sponsor of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Olivier van Lindonk, Nishikori’s agent, declined to comment on the terms of the agreement with Uniqlo. He said the Olympic Games bode well for his client, who rose to a No. 4 ranking last year and is scheduled to play in Friday’s quarterfinal at the Brisbane International, where he is the No. 2 seed behind Roger Federer, 34.
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“Companies are looking for the next generation of champions,” said van Lindonk, vice president of tennis at talent-management agency IMG . “With Tokyo 2020 only four years away, this created an interesting dynamic with the clothing companies looking for an Asian star.”
Fast Retailing declined to comment.
Billionaire Tadashi Yanai, Uniqlo's founder and Japan's richest person, has expanded Uniqlo's sponsorship of athletes to include Australian golfer Adam Scott, winner of the 2013 Masters, and 28-year-old Novak Djokovic, the reigning top-ranked tennis player. The company also backs Shingo Kunieda, the world No. 1 men's wheelchair tennis player.
By Dave McCombs, with assistance from Yusuke Miyazawa; editors: Michael Tighe, Young-Sam Cho, Dave McCombs.
