Naomi Osaka: The world's most commercially valuable player, ready for generous returns

Editor's note: On September 3, Beijing time, US Open women's singles defending champion Osaka Naomi lost 0-2 to his "nemesis" Bencic and missed the quarterfinals. In 2019, although Naomi Osaka suffered a decline after winning the Australian Open at the beginning of the year, and has failed to win the championship for three consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, for the 22-year-old female tennis star, her career is still in the future. Can be expected.

SportsPro Media recently released the list of the world's most marketable athletes in 2019. Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka replaced Paul Pogba to top the list. She is the second female athlete to achieve such an achievement after Eugenie Bouchard (Eugenie Bouchard) reached the summit in 2015, and she is also the first Asian athlete to reach the summit. SportsPro Media also wrote an article to tell us why Osaka Naomi was able to become the athlete with the most market potential.

Everything must start with the U.S. Open women's singles final between Naomi Osaka and Serena in 2018.

"Because I am a woman, you take this point away. That is simply wrong. You know, and I also know that you can't admit it, but I understand that you know that is incorrect."

2018 The women's singles final of the Tennis Open came to a critical juncture. Amid the boos and ridicule that sounded at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, Serena was resting during the game, and her resistance was endless.

The American tennis star has been away from the game for a year after giving birth to her first child. At that time, she was working hard for her 24th Grand Slam title. This is not the first time Serena has stood on the cusp of making history, but now she is protesting to event officials. Referee Carlos Ramos discovered the subtle gestures made by Serena’s coach Patrick Mouratoglou during the match and gave a mandatory penalty, which triggered A series of unexpected events.

was enraged by the unfair penalty, Serena exclaimed, "I have never cheated in my life!" The great champion panicked. The recurring unforced error caused Serena, who was already shrouded in anger, to break the tempo. At the same time, he also received a second warning from the referee Ramos. But Williams did not stop there. Every time she confronted her opponent, she became more and more emotional. She asked the referee to apologize for punishing her for the first foul. For the point she lost in the critical stage of the deciding game, she called the referee a "liar" and a "thief" ".

Selena Williams and referee Carlos Ramos had a dispute during the US Open women's singles final in September. For Ramos, these accusations were the last straw that crushed him. In the face of Williams' constant dissent, he decisively gave the American verbal abuse the penalty, which penalized Williams for the entire game. The verbal attack put her behind 5-3 in the second set and was on the verge of losing the game. At this time, Williams asked the chief referee to come in and appeal. "Some men do worse," she yelled.

At the same time, on the other side of the court, Williams' young opponents did not get confused by what happened on and off the court. Her expression conveyed the doubts of millions of spectators worldwide. At that time, Naomi Osaka, who had already emerged on the WTA Tour, did not expect that his debut in the Grand Slam finals would end in this way. Despite this, she still managed to win the game in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-4 with amazing composure.

may be unable to believe his great achievements. While waiting for the award ceremony of the championship trophy and the $3.8 million check, Osaka could not restrain his emotions and wept. Her victory is controversial, her frustration is seen as a historical scene, and today, that moment still feels disappointing. The only thing she can do is hide her face behind the brim of her hat to avoid being caught by the camera. After

went through the post-match awards ceremony-tearful acceptance speech, some clumsy on-site photos, and affectionate hugs with family and behind-the-scenes staff, Daban quietly left the stadium. Obviously, she was affected by this painful experience. Tormented and exhausted.

Naomi Osaka lifts her first US Open championship trophy

9The series of conditions that occurred on that mysterious night in May may have overshadowed the landmark achievements of Osaka. At only 20 years old, this uninterested challenger has just won her first victory in the final of a major event, which can be said to be no less than or even surpassed by the greatest female tennis player of all time and her childhood idol. Became the first Grand Slam singles champion in Japanese history. This extraordinary genius has won one of the most prestigious champions in the sport, . However, shortly after the end of the game, everyone was talking about the Williams vs. Ramos dispute.

A fierce controversy has erupted around sexism on social media platforms around the world. As always, public opinion is polarized. For some people, Williams’ cross-border is wrong. They believe that the punishment she received was fair; for others, Ramos was too tough in handling this matter, and he obviously refused. To try to appease Williams and reiterate the possible consequences of her behavior, which further proves the existence of gender discrimination in sports.

However, in this controversy, the mild-spoken and humble champion Naomi Osaka appeared to be eclipsed. Her rise in the WTA ranking did not attract the attention of people outside the tennis world. When the argument continued to ferment around her, the little girl tweeted in her usual gentle style the day after the game. The tweet

shows the low-key and humble character of Osaka. Think about it carefully, this tweet looks more weight afterwards, and the transformation of Osaka started from this game.

The victory of Flushing Meadows naturally made Osaka the focus of attention all over the world. Although the first title she won in her personal career was in the Indian Wells Crown Tournament in March 2018, her back-to-back grand slam feat at the Australian Open in January 2019 made her professional The career has risen to a whole new level, not only making her the number one in the world, but also consolidating her position as one of the super geniuses.

"This is an incredible journey," she said now. "Since Indian Wells last year, everything has happened so fast, but I enjoy every minute. I have learned a lot since then."

Obviously, there has been a whirlwind on and off the court in recent months. . Although Osaka grew up in the United States, she represents Japan in terms of nationality. Whether it is in Japan or abroad, there are a lot of sponsorships and media to throw olive branches at her. Looking back, she admitted that at first people’s curiosity about her was “a little overwhelming”, but she still accepted this fact.

she recalled: “This was a challenge at the beginning, especially after the US Open, I chose to go straight to Tokyo.” In June this year, before attacking the Wimbledon champion, Osaka accepted SportsPro's brief Interview. "But I learned to deal with it calmly and cherish all the opportunities. This is definitely a new experience for me, but I am happy to learn." In the summer of 2016, the 18-year-old Osaka signed a contract with IMG Academy to build the brand

. Become the youngest of the top 50 female tennis players in the world. Since then, this global organization has been managing her off-field financial gains, from the selection of sponsors and contract negotiations, to public relations and brand strategy, everything.

“ Osaka Naomi’s business is very diverse, so it needs a huge team all over the world.” Stuart Duguid, the agent and manager of Osaka’s IMG Academy, explained, “I’m very lucky to lead This team, but I have to promote its reputation from the highest level to the entire company. ”

In Japan, Hideyuki Sakai is the agent of Osaka, and at the same time, he also manages the business of the Osaka compatriots-one of the customers of IMG Academy Kei Nishikori (Nishikori). Like Osaka, the 29-year-old ATP star has always been a trailblazer in Japanese tennis; he holds 12 championship titles, and at the same time, he reached the US Open final in 2014 and became the first Asian to qualify for a Grand Slam singles final. Male athlete. His success has allowed him to accumulate many enviable endorsement opportunities. Although he has never lifted a trophy in a major event, it has also made him an income in the world.One of the tallest tennis players.

Naomi Osaka and Kei Nishikori

Duguid speculated that with the increase in the commercial value of two star customers, "Sakai will definitely see more transaction flows than any other tennis agent in the world." But as he explained, Osaka brought her own unique opportunities.

"We are fortunate that Osaka has the ability and character of a star to be able to establish contact with multiple departments of Endeavor." Duguid said, "For example, our book department helped to produce a comic strip; our TV department A talent production project is under preparation; at the same time, IMG Models has also made various introductions in the fashion field we are pursuing."

Although the IMG agency behind Osaka is responsible for everything, Du Jied said In fact, the overall business strategy is dominated by the athletes themselves. He said that the initial strategy was to cooperate with Japanese companies with global operations such as Nissan, Citizen, Shiseido and Nissin. However, as her popularity increased exponentially, we began to seek to establish global brand ambassador relationships with multinational companies such as Mastercard and Procter & Gamble.

Today, the most eye-catching and potentially profitable sponsor in Osaka is Nike. This spring, she and Nike signed a multi-year clothing agreement. Reports at the time speculated that her former clothing sponsor, Adidas, was ready to make her the highest paid female athlete in history. The price was about US$8.5 million a year, but Osaka eventually chose to support her familiar brand . At a press conference in May of this year, when asked why she changed sponsors, she replied: "I don't know. I think this is because everyone I admire grew up wearing Nike."

In April this year, when Osaka came to watch the NBA Golden State Warriors (Golden State Warriors) and the Los Angeles Lakers (Los Angeles Lakers) game, she revealed on social media her partnership with Nike (Nike). In that game, Osaka also took pictures with Nike spokespersons Kevin Durant and LeBron James. While declaring her new star status, it also confirmed her cross-border potential as an athlete. In fact, her story has already appeared in "Vogue", "Time", "ESPN The Magazine", "Financial Times" and other publications.

As part of the Nike agreement, Osaka cooperated with the company to create stadium clothing with her personalized logo. Duguid said that Nike is also producing a capsule series of streetwear, which will be available in Japan. At the same time, he added: “Dasaka has a very strong interest in fashion and design, so these are important parts of this collaboration with Nike.” Another unique feature of

’s collaboration with Nike is that Osaka can use other The logo of the sponsoring company. In the traditional sense, Nike requires its athletes not to include other sponsor logos on the clothing of the stadium, but in addition to the Swoosh Osaka brand, Japan’s largest instant noodle companies Nissin, ANA and Mastercard logos It is also printed on Osaka's clothing. The only player to benefit from such regulations is Li Na, who retired in 2014, a pioneer in Chinese tennis and a two-time Grand Slam champion.

"We are fortunate that Osaka has the ability and character of a star to be able to establish contact with multiple departments of Endeavor." Stuart Duguid, Osaka's agent and manager of IMG Academy

"Obviously, this shows "Nike’s enthusiasm and desire to cooperate with Osaka is only a small part of the larger blueprint," said Duguid when talking about the exemption of sponsor regulations. "Nike has proactively invited Osaka in various promotional activities. Come to play the leading role, including the large-scale'Just Do It' event held in Japan. During our understanding of Nike, we found old photos of Osaka playing in the'Just Do It' shirt as a child; When she was doing housework as a child, her mother used the phrase ‘Just Do It’ to encourage her and her sister. Therefore, for Osaka, Nike will give her a sense of trust and a natural feeling of returning home. This is all about Osaka and Nike. "

mentioned athlete endorsements. Nike is notoriously tight-lipped; it generally likes to keep the terms of cooperation confidential and let its marketing department take charge. Duguid also refused to disclose the content of the agreement with Nike-"I also don't want to disclose the contract. Any other details of "- He just said so far that both parties are very satisfied with this agreement." At the same time, Duguid is very satisfied with the endorsement that Osaka has gained in his early career development. He has an interesting connection between his clients and the Uefa Champions League-the two sponsors of Osaka, Nissan and Mastercard, also sponsor the UEFA Champions League.

​​Naomi Osaka is a partner of MasterCard, but cooperation with another Champions League sponsor may be brewing.

"We participated in the final in Madrid (May) and met with them, and we also met with another top The Champions League sponsors had in-depth discussions," he revealed, "I think the Champions League is one of the most famous events in the world, so it is very exciting for Osaka to participate in such a company."

, The 2020 Tokyo Olympics is an excellent time for Osaka. Her three partners-Nissin, All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Procter & Gamble (P&G)-are the official sponsors of the Tokyo Olympics. During the preparation process, the sponsors will incorporate the characteristics of Osaka. Incorporate into their marketing activities. At the same time, as far as the Olympics itself is concerned, their cooperation will help make Osaka more of the image of Japan. Although Duguid admits that it is important to take advantage of such a rare opportunity in an athlete's career, he is also keen to think in the long term. "In the next 10, 20, and 30 years, we will definitely focus more on the development of the business in Osaka, not just an event," he said, "although for her it is a historic and A milestone.”

To this end, Duguid focused on more opportunities. He pointed out that fashion and e-sports are two areas in which his clients are "really interested" and therefore will "seriously consider" future partnerships. Like thousands of generation Z people her age, Osaka is also an avid game fan, and she often posts on social media. In addition, Du Jiide added that as Osaka continues to seek out-of-market benefits, equity investment will also be her first consideration.

"E-sports is constantly evolving, and we are paying close attention to it to ensure that we have the right strategy." Duguid continued, "I am confident that we may announce some great news soon. "

Change ambassador

In many ways, Osaka will reflect her characteristics of multi-racial, multi-ethnic, and diverse. Her aggressive style and strong serve often conceal that she is a very shy girl. She symbolizes an original and elegant sports style, which has become a symbol of WTA. After more than 40 years of development, WTA has become the world's most commercially valuable women's sports organization.

, 18 Grand Slam singles champions and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2019, Chrissie Evert wrote in her passionate essay: “No one More than this honest, courteous, and humble tennis vitality, it can represent our increasingly globalized and multicultural future. This force is likely to win the championship in the next few years."

"In my opinion, Osaka's outstanding characteristics It is her ability, she can maintain this level of competition at such a young stage, and can correctly view the pressure on her," Micky Lawler said , (Micky Lawler is a former Octagon executive who became WTA president in early 2015. “It’s a great thing for Osaka to get investment from companies like Shiseido, Mastercard and Nissan, but just like these companies invest in WTA, they hopeHope to gain huge influence and return, which adds extra pressure. "

" Like other top players, not many people can afford this-it's really much more important than the highest level of performance. You have to be successful in many ways, which is really amazing. Therefore, it is incredible that there is a Japanese champion who crosses national borders and can arouse people's curiosity in Japan and other places in the world. "

And this is where the charm of the market in Osaka lies: For Western brands, Osaka carries a multiculturalism, which is widely regarded as a commercial attraction; it is this coveted wealth that can expand an organization's Range of influence and horizons.

However, in Japan, a country with strong traditions and cultural homogeneity, people of mixed blood are still called hāfu, which means "half", so the attraction of Osaka is more subtle. There, The aesthetic standards of non-Japanese citizens are usually different from those of Japanese natives. Therefore, both the media and sponsors believe that Osaka is the kind of person who can use her own platform to challenge the country’s views on race and skin color.

"Japanese Cultural History It’s very complicated. Although I have read and talked to many people about this issue, I can’t say that I am an expert.” Duguid once referred to Osaka as a “change ambassador”. He said, “I know that Osaka has been used by the Japanese public. Wide acceptance, which undoubtedly sends a positive signal of tolerance and acceptance-Osaka is keen to promote the spread of this information. During

's off-field career in Osaka, racial issues have become a hot topic. Earlier this year, a Nissin video ad attracted widespread criticism. Nissin portrayed Osaka as a light-skinned cartoon. The character, this seems to be “whitewashing” her image. “I’m getting a tan,” Dasaka explained after the event’s online exposure, “this is obvious. But I firmly believe that next time they want to shape me or something, I think they should talk to me. "

Earlier this year, a video ad by Nissin caused widespread criticism. Nissin portrays Osaka as a light-skinned cartoon character. This seems to be "whitewashing" her image

. Nissin then apologized and removed it. Advertising, but this did not stop another sponsor of Daban from highlighting her ethnic background and scrutinizing her personal life in its marketing activities.

is in a short video of Nike’s iconic “Just Do It” campaign , Showing the scene of Osaka hitting the ball on the court, and a lot of questions unrelated to tennis. "Do you think you are Japanese or American? One person asked. "Don't you think you should smile more?" Said the other. "Will you have another pork cutlet bowl today?" "

At the end of this paragraph, Osaka turned to the camera and was unmoved. "Shh", she made a gesture, expressionless and said nothing. At this time, a Japanese message appeared in the short film-this one. The message may one day prove to be applicable to Osaka, just as it applies to the Williams sisters before her, and to Billie Jean King and her previous WTA pioneers: "Don't change yourself, change the world."

statement: This article is compiled from SportsPro Media for Lanxiong Sports, and the original author is Michael Long.

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