How Roger Federer Struck GOLD by Leaving Nike

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For upwards of two decades, Roger Federer had worn nothing but Nike clothing in a brand deal that had made the Swiss Star one of the richest athletes in the world. That all changed in 2018 when Federer played that year’s first round match at Wimbledon… wearing UNIQLO, a Japanese casual wear brand. While shocking at first, in retrospect has been seen as one of the most calculated and smartest business decisions ever undertaken by a single professional tennis player, the first step in a series of pivotal decisions that would in turn double his total career earnings past 1 billion dollars just three years later.
CULT TENNIS brings you player profiles and analyzes some of the best stories in the world of Tennis! Subscribe to see more content like this, and thank you for stopping by!
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[@cannonfodder15]

Yes! He's remembered his password!

[@cannonfodder15]

@@regularmouse4230 chill out bro! Can't take a joke. I didn't mean it in any harm! I absolutely love his videos!

[@regularmouse4230]

@@cannonfodder15 fair enough

[@rpraj3135]

Its about damn time right 😂😂

[@nightowldickson]

For what Uniqlo is paying Federer, their company has really underutilised him and his name. There was this one time I went to a Uniqlo store to look for the Federer match apparel as I couldn't find it and wasn't sure if they stocked them. The sales person I asked had no idea who Federer was. Secondly their company actually hasn't used him a great deal in advertisements. Now I understand not everyone is into tennis, but when a company is paying a brand ambassador this amount of money you'd think they would want to get their money's worth. In terms of selling his match wear they have lifted their game in the last year or so (e.g. selling caps, more availability etc.) but there are still items fans cannot buy, e.g. head tie and jacket etc. Never really understood why it took them so long to sort these things out.

[@benparsons4979]

Well Uniqlo is really more a casual apparel brand than a sports apparel brand. You'll be hard pressed to find a purely sports focused Uniqlo store, but the last time I went to a Uniqlo casual store, there was a small section with RF hats and other accessories.

[@TomSmith-gw6fn]

I just went to the Uniqlo in Manhattan a few weeks ago, pleasantly surprised to see two different cutouts of Fed in the store. Didn’t get a good look at their tennis apparel offerings though; I was shopping for jeans.

[@josep9599]

The new go Roger uniqlo shirt is selling like hotcakes

[@dominicnalan942]

I've always thought that with lebron and Nike. Dudes getting a billion dollars and he doesnt even seem to promote alot of stuff

[@nightowldickson]

@@benparsons4979 I understand that, I knew about Uniqlo before Uniqlo signed Djokovic in 2012. My point is that there are certain parts of the world where Uniqlo is expanding their business and operations and having someone like Federer would be perfect for brand recognition in advertisements in new markets.

[@scheimong]

Uniqlo has become extremely popular in East Asia during the last decade due to their good quality at a much more reasonable price than traditional European/American brands. Another reason is their excellent store design - they are huge for a clothing store yet oddly feels very approachable at the same time. Their store employees also don't follow customers around trying to push sales like other clothing chains often do, which is partly why customers on average stay longer and actually spend more. I'm a big fan of their brand and I'm happy to see RF work with them. And if he gets a big bucket of gold off the deal, that's even better.

[@RogerThatTennis]

Kinda weird to see Roger without Nike after so many years and accomplishments. I wouldn't say no to $300 million though. Great video once again man!

[@vijayendranvijay4538]

Uniqlo is kind of unlucky to roger somehow.. He has lost all important tournaments and only miami 2019 was his biggest title... Nike was his lucky charm

[@abhisekdas435]

@@vijayendranvijay4538 not really... Roger's career is already done in 2018

[@vijayendranvijay4538]

@@bhuvanesh0115 yes true bro... He shouldn't have changed from Nike to uniqlo especially in twilight of his career...its unlucky for roger coz novak has been using that brand earlier😂

[@nakamiyonemura2001]

It's the after clause that mattered for him

[@Gd-jq6mz]

Nike can f** it. Why do they need all the friggin atheletes 😂😂😂

[@mchase4]

The editing channel is beyond superb. No idea how you pull these edits off with FCPX. I’d love to see your timeline.

[@ayushgarg8835]

Dude you are still alive? Remember Lucas Wilde?

[@slidebean]

This is like ‘Company Forensics’ Roger Federer- and we loved it! Great video!

[@thomas_delaney]

Channel collab between slidebean and cult tennis would be legit

[@cayahere]

@@thomas_delaney I'm just an email away :)

[@michaelermcgowaniv]

I look forward to Slidebean exploring more endorsement and trademark related stories.

[@danielaserkoff7746]

Hold everything. Cult tennis posted. Mom, gotta go. No, I can’t do the dishes. I got “homework” to do

[@devinedude3690]

well said....

[@mintykookieee]

Yes, indeed…

[@b4Sed1593]

Gay

[@DonLee1980]

Fact is, form is temporary, class is permanent. Federer has always been Mr. Tennis, because he speaks the best for his sport. He has no scandals. He is handsome, and he is generous with his words. Indeed, Nike had little left to be gained from Federer, but many companies did. For Federer, $30 million a year for 10 years, retire or not, that is a nobrainer deal.

[@sephikong8323]

Federer is THE Tennisman. He was one of the best players in the world when I was a child, now I'm an adult and he still is, he still looks handsome and in his prime despite being almost 40, and on top of that he is one of the nicest and most respectable players around. This is the perfect player to be associated with, he has a perfect image, no scandals and good results, no wonder people are ready to cash out for him over anyone else. The day this man retires, I damn hope everyone celebrates him, because he did so much for the sport as a whole

[@eyesofwaldo7015]

@@sephikong8323 your reply is like one of those anniversary Beatles releases with exactly the same stuff on it that the original had and some other useless shit nobody really needs to hear

[@sephikong8323]

@@eyesofwaldo7015 And yours is like a corporate statement: nobody asked for it

[@kingarthurusatenniscoach1415]

@@eyesofwaldo7015 well said ,,,, beatles a boy band They followed Elvis. and then a hair cut and suit,,,,

[@tanushreesaha1567]

@@sephikong8323 uhm, nobody asked for your comment too...

[@timleelim9930]

I’m a Roger fan. When I saw the increased prices of Uniqlo sports related apparel (now, that’s a surprise - wonder what caused that?) I was happy for him and started shopping for Artengo stuff in Decathlon.

[@twinwankel]

The man is a genius on and off the court.

[@ashithshankar7492]

Genius in choosing the right people to make decisions for him.

[@iamheful]

@@ashithshankar7492 yeah. People think he's going to all those meetings, negotiating with business magnates and taking decisions by himself lmao. Roger probably has an entire team that does all of his deals for him, so do other players.

[@strikerbowls791]

@@iamheful Roger is god. He does everything

[@tombowcutt4908]

@@strikerbowls791 everything that is not on clay

[@sriniwass]

@@tombowcutt4908 Federer has been a finalist 4 times at Roland Garros. He won 30 total clay-court titles and held a 251-41 (. 860) record on clay. Not too shabby.

[@devinedude3690]

You always bring the must-watch insightful off-the-beaten-track tennis stories... my eyes light up when your content is posted... Keep it coming dude...

[@bharatsharma8525]

I feel the same bro

[@reevesharvey3125]

These videos are straight crack. So jam packed with info delivered in a way that provides suspense and makes it impossible to get bored. Turn this hobby into a career!

[@sarahreiley1543]

Why r u guys OBSESSED

[@nakamiyonemura2001]

@@sarahreiley1543 Great product is recognized everywhere

[@theowhittaker5682]

Without a doubt, you are THE most underrated channel on this platform.

[@CULTTENNIS]

🤩

[@boyzemail4769]

@@CULTTENNIS Cult Tennis Video + Roger Federer = instant click Thanks for the new vid!

[@cubesquared7808]

@@boyzemail4769 Cult Tennis Video = instant click. Don’t even need Roger.

[@boyzemail4769]

@@cubesquared7808 Facts, what I really meant was new Cult Tennis vid + Roger Federer = m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHbIqZicqqdpaMU

[@sarahreiley1543]

@@CULTTENNIS What

[@dougtennis5147]

Shouldn't the video title read, "THREE WAYS Federer Became RichER After Leaving Nike"?

[@rafcalvo5]

I mean dude, you are the absolute best storyteller on KZbin, not just Tennis KZbin. This and every one of your videos are such high quality it’s quite unreal

[@tennisplanet6037]

Didn't even realize Federer is already wearing new shoes. Keep up the amazing work dude .. big fan here

[@poutinenator]

With the injuries, we did not get to see him in the Roger Pro On-running shoes. You can get 2 or 3 less expensive lines of Roger shoes.

[@hoaluu572]

Thank you for bringing to light these stories. Not only for uncovering unprecedented situations, but also spreading tennis influence in the world. Keep the vids coming

[@ItsTomRich]

As a professional video editor, can I just say... Please teach me 😂

[@CULTTENNIS]

Thanks Tom! We're transitioning to filming here, so I gave your channel a sub for some tips :)

[@ItsTomRich]

@@CULTTENNIS ahh thanks man! Keep up the unreal videos

[@corgeousgeorge]

Really digging your production values on these. Great research as well. Good job!

[@konsta9600]

I really like Uniqlo's sports clothing, feels so high quality and also reasonably priced

[@halffulltome]

Their RF hat is honestly pretty disappointing. Feels kinda cheap and doesn’t look as good as the one Nike made.

[@PolicyPointers]

Dont ever stop these videos... please. They genuinely will get you millions of subs

[@enjoylongbeach]

Roger's hard work has payed off. Respect the move to be part owner of an up and coming company. Love the hustle. 🎾

[@ukLz666]

paid off*

[@hookSanzzzyo]

Voice over, research, explanation, breakdown, animations, mind blowing editing ..superb... Awesome video 😘

[@nicrow1369]

Great content as always. Didn’t know about the On connection so very interesting👍

[@LysLovesAlpacas]

roger’s a straight up genius on & off the court as always 🎾

[@CuriousPug12]

He taking W on the court and off the court What a GOAT And the fact that they did this to nike, it just make it even sweeter.

[@warlockly123]

Wow the quality of these videos are so good I'm always so impressed by the great editing

[@H-When]

Uniqlo's active range is amazing. True value for money compared to the usual players.

[@rockesh123]

One of the most underrated channel is back!!! Yay!! Cheers!

[@Wodz30]

WOW what amazing production quality! First time seeing a video here, VERY impressive!

[@k1t362]

Crazy good editing on this! I’ve never really been a tennis fan at all but this has me hooked

[@kingdongo4388]

That was well put together. Well done man! 👏🏽👌🏽💯

[@jorgesk8zero]

I'm always impatient for a video of yours. Awesome content

[@zTayx]

The editing on your videos is on another level, this is a pleasure to watch

[@ronbennun6707]

Love your videos, always interesting and to the point, not to long but also not to short. Keep it up!

[@vasudevkarthik4593]

RF is one of the most humblest guys in the world. He is an epitome of what a champion should be fierce player on the court and a humble human being of the court. He is not only GOAT in tennis but he is an ideal husband, ideal son and ideal father. In short he is a perfect example of how a gentleman should be.

[@ivanpalaca6230]

How can you be so humble and succesful at the same time

[@JohnRome-xn7hx]

Great instructive video, congrats! I'm not a "Nike" lover but they really did iconic stuff for RF (and some weird stuff too...).

[@bigkahunaburger5185]

This is an amazing analysis! Like most I was scratching my head when he went to Uniqlo, but when I heard what they were paying him I understood a little, then when I heard ON was going public and Fed was an investor, I understood even more. Federer has changed the way business will be done and contracts will be negotiated in the future. I am sure Rafa, Serena, Novak and big names in other sports are taking notes.

[@Dark_Voice]

Tbh, Rafa is way too conservative to be taking notes and Novak went to uniqlo way before Roger did from his Adidas.

[@JorgeMartinez-dh7nc]

@@Dark_Voice Rafa isn't conservative at all, he just opened a huge tennis university

[@cooljon4240]

What keeps me going in life are these videos, thank you for existing

[@zedramer]

Can't wait for this channel to truly blow up :)

[@shakibnishat5139]

Don't stop making videos, we love you!

[@s.z.x.01]

Not sure if Uniqlo end up becoming more famous or having more sales after Roger joined the brand, but I certainly seen a lot more On shoes around the market, heck now I have a pair of his tennis shoes, I’m so glad it’s almost the same build as Roger’s himself, unlike how Nike’s market shoes are completely different from Roger’s custom ones

[@Ithilion]

As informative and well presented as always :)

[@CULTTENNIS]

Glad you like them!

[@mayarhefny1656]

The content and video editing is soooo good

[@draterdiputs]

Great video bro, super entertaining, didn’t even have to put it on 1.5x. I’m gonna go buy some Uniqlo and on merch, thanks for putting me on :)

[@kingkudzu352]

I like how the contract had Rogers crazy signature when he was talking about breaking through to heavily yet subtly compliment the “breakthrough he did” line

[@Rapunzel2866]

Roger is not just the GOAT but he appears to be a shrewd, savvy businessman!

[@cooldude3544]

Amazing video man. So informative love your video bro

[@bifftannen66]

Would have seen a bit about Uniqlo and their split with Djokovic. Although the video can do without, he did pave the way for Federer into Tennis and also Kei.

[@MartinJohnZ]

Great video! Now how about the story of Djoker pairing up with Uniqlo?

[@nuvinpooliyadde7319]

Nike has defined the great champion of a player Roger Federer is. He has won all 20 of his Grand Slams under that sponsorship. The Nike-Federer partnership has provided tennis fans with great memories that will last forever. So sad that era has come to an end but I guess the opportunity with uniqlo has opened up Roger to a whole new level of ventures that will benefit him as he plans for the future. I wish him a speedy recovery and hopefully return to the tour next year❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏🎾🏆

[@ClimbingKeen]

Bro who cares what emblem is on Federer’s clothing?

[@nuvinpooliyadde7319]

@@ClimbingKeen That was just my opinion. At the end of the day whatever the sponsorship logo, Federer is still one of the most stylish and classy tennis players on tour. Djokovic will definitely beat his grand slam record and we have new generation players like Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and Stephano Tsitipas who are coming up the ranks but he is still my No 1 player. To still play at 40 years old despite the injury setbacks he has had is unbelievable. He has had a remarkable career and Im sure he is well satisfied with his achievements, although the chances of him winning another grand slam is quite low, given his current situation and the increasing competitiveness of the ATP circuit.

[@elizabethsoro3421]

Very interesting, informative. Without a lot of hype. I enjoyed getting the facts.

[@donutmcmuffin3916]

i remember seeing a tweet or something in a similar vein to this, fascinating stuff

[@janusnordow]

I love your videos. And i dont even follow tennis at ALL. I just enjoy the your videos because of the amazing production quality.

[@tasoskontos10]

Great analysis, great production, great video overall!

[@gregsj1]

tennis talk with cam williams recommended your channel so here i am just subscribed

[@ZaphodJan]

Sick Editing! Great Video.

[@jennbi1627]

Uniqlo 's clothes are so comfortable to wear!!!! Totally in love with it.

[@carlosmingeli]

i agree, i have a few hoodies and like 4 different RF hats from the uniqlo brand

[@PhilbyFavourites]

Do they do “Boomer” clothing?

[@ProNinjaBoy88]

He is a genius on and off the court. The only thing is that On does not sell his shoes because all their shoes in their lineup has their proprietary cloud tech (I forget what it’s called) that makes it easy to walk/run in a straight line. Roger’s shoes do not have that tech in it, but would still love to try them if On ever makes his shoes available to the public

[@joseph-tt5mp]

Why are these all your videos so good bro!!!!!!

[@nigelvee1745]

Really good content, underrated channel this.

[@tarfap.kpamber9732]

Thank you for this informative update about a successful, smart, amazing personality.

[@elmaestroco]

Yes, but to have that kind of leverage over powerful sponsors, you need to have yourself a very powerful image, a "Cult" of supporters. Not many tennis players or athletes in general can achieve this.

[@elizabethziabtchenko8146]

I LOVE THIS CHANNEL SO MUCH

[@player_3]

I'm not much into tennis. But I appreciate hard work and good production quality. Subbed.

[@CULTTENNIS]

Our motto is: The Tennis Channel for people who don’t care about tennis 😂

[@mihagolod2393]

Alone the first 5 seconds have incredible quality

[@justinsaehoon]

Cult tennis is the goat

[@Cassopa]

Coming back here after just buying my first On-running shoes and remembering this video 2 years ago ❤

[@Kingaxel1]

Really well put together video

[@brayden6714]

HES BACK!! you got to post more

[@TheStringBreaker]

Phenomenal content! As always!

[@neelchoudhary9677]

as always, your content is fantastic

[@tcrow9599]

Another well thought out and executed video!!

[@vaughanhibbs8145]

Love this channel👌🏼🎾

[@rubennel3271]

Very impressive video CULT !!

[@CULTTENNIS]

Glad you liked it!

[@thekelvinproductionlore]

Petition for Cult Tennis to make the Rise and Fall of Swedish Tennis

[@theweeklynewsexplosion5358]

You mean Swiss?

[@overdrive_tennis]

Rise and fall of US tennis would be interesting as well

[@Microbescope]

Very good presentation by cult tennis. Welldone

[@raf6062]

This quality of journalism should be in the CNBC or Bloomberg channel. It just that good

[@joshuaambali9109]

Finally Cult Tennis posted 🤩🤩

[@franklucas1901]

One of the greatest, even off the court as well. Silent assassin.

[@gomama6748]

Great video. Just wondering 4:00 's logo was intentional or not. Its written as "Hachi-roku(86)" not "Uniqlo".

[@MrRomanow7]

Yeah noticed the same and was confused as well. Looked for a comment pointing it out and here we are.

[@NajarOffroad]

Crazy how many smart moves this guy is making!

[@BRBallin1]

Anyone of his caliber would have a team of business savvy people who advise him and take a cut from these deals

[@AntonioDiaz]

Dang shows you that his circle was looking out for him! Respect!

[@bramvalkenburg5655]

As good as a tennis player he is and might have been, his business talent is undisputed the best in tennis.

[@Jefflurr_]

Great video! I dont care much about tennis but the videos are super well made and very interesting to watch.

[@CULTTENNIS]

I appreciate that!

[@theobuniel9643]

TBH i felt like I was watching an Athletic Interest video. Good work dude!

[@InfinityX2]

Very interesting video! Thanks 👊🏻

[@kelpey7048]

I literally just got an ad for "on" at the end of this video

[@juanmarino1186]

you are soo good at this dude

[@pkoppula]

Quality as always 👏👍

[@somistyy]

3:50 LOL did they use a ae86 meme sticker instead of the real Uniqlo one? *Eurobeat Intensifies*

[@vaishnavi9825]

Your channel is GOLD

[@probakchod5808]

more than the shirt and shoe brands the tennis racquets are the most appealing wilson was nowhere close to head and babolat but with federer they shot up especially the red and black racquet he used from 2011 to 2015 was really iconic

[@summarumfitness]

Sick editing bro

[@beansprout_apg886]

And I thought I cannot move on when he leaves Nike, but I like it now since I’m a fan of Uniqlo. But they were right, sometimes its hard to find his apparels especially the jacket. Uniqlo’s jacket was pretty comfy so having RF trademark is a plus.Hope they can release it in every store.

[@lovelylin110]

Another great video!

[@canski5646]

roger the greatest running shoe /watch salesman of all time

[@Jace888]

It tells you that the game is played not just on the court but out of court as well! Well played! 👍🏻

[@TonyBeingTony]

Love ya Federer! Excellent video btw