Naomi Osaka and marketing possiblities the best since Li Na and Sharapova

Elektra

Professional
Naomi Osaka is really the future and what I mean by that is that Naomi brings forth possibilites to the sport of tennis in a marketing and money stand point.

Tennis has been wanting to open the doors in getting tennis popular in Asia and that has opened with this girl Osaka.

She brings together two different worlds with her Haitian/American and Japanese heritage. This girl is money. She can make big money from both American and Japanese sponsors.

She can bring more money to the sport then both Sharapova and Li Na combined.

According to Forbes

Her off-court earnings are likely to soar ten-fold over the next couple of years from $1.5 million to more than $15 million.
Osaka’s strong 2018 tennis season, including a title at Indian Wells, has raised her marketing profile. The U.S. Open win sends her to another stratosphere for endorsements.

The 20-year-old Osaka has the potential to be the face of global tennis for the next decade, with Williams turning 37 this month. But even if Osaka does not live up to those lofty standards, her position as Japan’s top female athlete and first-time Slam winner will skyrocket her income.

“Osaka has incredible long-term potential because of her age, multi-culturally appeal and on-the-court talent,” says David Schwab, who created Octagon’s brand celebrity strategy business. “Her sense of humor is endearing and she has the personal ability to decide how much of a marketer she would like to be.”

Osaka’s current endorsements include Adidas, Yonex, Nissin and Wowow. She inked a multiyear deal with watch brand Citizen ahead of the U.S. Open. Her low six-figures Adidas deal expires at the end of 2018. Perfect timing. The U.S. Open win should push her asking price to at least $5 million annually, including bonuses. Sloane Stephens parlayed her 2017 U.S. Open win into a blockbuster, multimillion deal with Nike, after her Under Armor pact expired shortly after the Open title.

Major success stories from Asian-born tennis players have been rare, but the few exceptions show the power of the Chinese and Japanese markets from a sponsorship standpoint.

China’s Li Na became a global sensation in 2011 when she won the French Open, the first Chinese player to win a major tournament. Li, who like Osana is represented by IMG, signed seven multimillion deals shortly after her Roland Garros win. Her annual off-court earnings soared from roughly $2 million to close to $20 million. She continues to bank more than $10 million annually in retirement.

Osaka’s U.S. Open run is already paying off for her sponsors. The share price of her racket maker, Yonex, jumped more than 10% on the Tokyo Stock Exchange with her semifinal win.

Osaka’s big payday is also coming soon.
 
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