“Naomi is an incredible talent to add to our roster and help drive our commitment to inspiring a new generation of female athletes,” Nike Vice President Amy Montagne added in the statement.
In 2018, Osaka topped the money list on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tour, collecting $6.4 million in winnings and has since broken through the $10 million mark. By contrast Serena Williams only made $342,246 in 2018 following her return after having her first child. However, Williams is still way out in front on the all-time female tennis earnings list with more than $88 million in prize money.
Osaka’s ascent to the top of the women’s game has made her a hot marketable commodity for the world’s top brands, with some estimates that she stands to make more than $15 million in endorsements alone this year.
And there goes another page ripped from the WS' playbook.
What happened to this Adidas deal from just last year?
Fresh off her stunning U.S. Open win, 20-year-old tennis phenom Naomi Osaka is reportedly about to sign an $8.5 million endorsement contract with Adidas, according to SB Nation. Her current contract with the athletic manufacturer expires at the end of this year. The deal is the richest ever offered to a female athlete by Adidas.
Osaka’s deal, although noteworthy, pales in comparison with other contracts major companies have made with some of her competitors, and with those Adidas has made with male athletes.
Soccer star David Beckham has a lifetime contract with Adidas worth $160 million. The company still uses Beckham in its ads even though he retired from professional soccer in 2013.
Tennis player Roger Federer is the seventh highest-paid athlete in the world, according to Forbes, with 2018 winnings of $12.2 million and endorsements totaling $65 million.
Serena Williams, who Osaka defeated in spectacular and controversial fashion at the Open, has a $40 million contract with Nike as well as numerous other endorsement deals. Williams brought in a total of $18.1 million, including winnings and deals with more than a dozen sponsors in 2018, according to Forbes.
The final match of this year’s Open garnered considerable attention when Williams was penalized one game for calling an umpire a “thief” after he docked her a point for receiving coaching. She was also fined $4,000 for that violation, as well as $3,000 for racket abuse and $10,000 for verbal abuse. The altercation has led to a wider discussion about sexism in the sport.
Tennis has worldwide appeal among both genders, making it a desirable sport for sponsors. And Osaka, who is half Haitian and half Japanese, and who plays under the flag of Japan, gives Adidas extra sway in the important Asian market.
"By contrast Serena Williams only made $342,246 in 2018 following her return after having her first child."
Ummm - you don't make the finals of two slams and make less than $350,000. ESPN puts Serena's earnings in 2018 at $3,770,170, more than 10x what's quoted in the article.