World No. 1 Naomi Osaka has agreed a deal with Nike, the sports apparel giant has announced. The Japanese star, who had previously been tied to rival Adidas, will first wear Nike gear at the Stuttgart Grand Prix later this month, the U.S. sportswear maker said on its website. "I'm proud to become a member of the Nike family and excited about getting involved in all of the opportunities Nike has to offer," Osaka said in the statement. "Nike has a legendary track record of writing history and I look forward to being a part of those moments for many years to come." Osaka has won the last two Grand Slams -- the Australian Open and U.S. Open -- having become the first ever Japanese player to win one of the four majors when she overcame Serena Williams at Flushing Meadows in September. "Naomi is an incredible talent to add to our roster and help drive our commitment to inspiring a new generation of female athletes," Amy Montagne, a Nike vice president, added in the statement. "We are thrilled to have her join our team." Osaka's ascent to the top of the women's game has made her a hot marketable commodity for the world's top brands. She also has deals with numerous brands including Japanese airline All Nippon Airways, car manufacturer Nissan and watch company Citizen.<doc-sep>Tennis world number one Naomi Osaka has agreed a deal with sportswear giant Nike. Osaka has been on an incredible run of form in the past year, which has seen her win her first and second Grand Slam titles back-to-back at last year's U.S. Open and more recently at the Australian Open in January. The Japanese star, who had previously been tied to rival Adidas, will first wear Nike gear at the Stuttgart Grand Prix, which begins on April 22. "I'm proud to become a member of the Nike family and excited about getting involved in all of the opportunities Nike has to offer," said Osaka in the statement on Nike's website. "Nike has a legendary track record of writing history and I look forward to being a part of those moments for many years to come." the 21-year-old went on to say. When she overcame Serena Williams in the U.S. Open final at Flushing Meadow in September, Osaka became the first Japanese player to win one of the four major tennis titles. She then backed that victory up by winning the first Grand Slam of 2019 as well, defeating Petra Kvitova in Melbourne.<doc-sep>Getty Following Naomi Osaka’s rise to stardom with her first Grand Slam tennis victory at the U.S. Open in New York City in September, the endorsement deals started flowing. One deal widely—and erroneously—reported was an Osaka mega-extension with Adidas, ahead of her second straight Grand Slam victory at the Australian Open in January 2019. While Osaka remained in Adidas gear past her original contract expiration at the end of 2018, she never inked the extension. Now she has a new deal to her name: Nike. Osaka signed with the Oregon-based company, making it official April 4. She passed on other offers, according to Japanese press, that included Uniqlo. Announcing the news on social media, Osaka wrote, "What a welcome, thank you." During the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells in California, Osaka, 21, had a training session with Nike-sponsored athlete Frances Tiafoe, one of the key faces of the NikeCourt Zoom Zero tennis shoe line. Tiafoe and Osaka discussed sneaker fits during a break in the session, with Tiafoe touting the benefits of the Zoom Zero. Now Osaka has her own Nike choices in front of her, but she will wear the Zoom Zero on the court starting April 22 in Stuttgart. “I’m proud to become a member of the Nike family and excited about getting involved in all of the opportunities Nike has to offer,” says Osaka. “Nike has a legendary track record of writing history, and I look forward to being a part of those moments for many years to come.” CREDIT: Tim Newcomb Before the Nike deal, the young Japanese tennis star had already started to parlay her youthful personality and candor into a robust stable of endorsements. Her win against her idol Serena Williams in the U.S. Open final pushed that star higher. And it hasn’t stopped rising. Going into the summer of 2018, Osaka had endorsement contracts with Japanese racket maker Yonex, apparel and footwear maker Adidas, Nissin Foods and Wowow. She announced a deal with Citizen Watch ahead of the fall’s two-week event—she earned a bonus from the brand with the win—and following her championship win, Nissan showered her with praise during an unveiling event in Japan, announcing a three-year agreement without disclosing terms. Osaka also signed with Shiseido in November 2018 and All Nippon Airways in January 2019, and she has a deal with Proctor & Gamble. In all, with the help of IMG Tennis, Osaka has signed six new deals since the U.S. Open victory. MORE: The Continued Rise Of Naomi Osaka And Her Business Star “This partnership was in place long before the U.S. Open,” Stuart Duguid, Osaka’s IMG manager, who also represents young Korean star Hyeon Chung and athlete management for IMG’s Asia Pac business, said late last year about the Nissan deal. “The timing of the announcement was therefore very timely.” CREDIT: Nike The Japanese connection has played well for Osaka. She was born in Japan but grew up largely in the United States, moving to the U.S. when she was 3. She plays under the Japanese flag, with a mother from Japan and a father from Haiti. Her appeal in both Japan and the United States helps Osaka when it comes to endorsements, but more than that, her ability on the court and her demeanor off it have set a powerfully positive tone. “Winning the U.S. Open in such a high-profile final has definitely accelerated the ascent of Naomi’s profile,” Duguid says. “However, her game and personality were always there, so it was only a matter of time before it reached a larger audience.” Winning in Australia only accentuated her notability. IMG confirmed Osaka was in discussions with a broad range of suitors looking to put their logos on Osaka from head to toe, and with the Summer Olympics heading to Tokyo in 2020, brands are showing a “definite interest” in getting behind an athlete who could be one of the faces of the Games. During a break in the joint training session on Indian Wells practice courts between world No. 1 Naomi Osaka and world No. 35 Frances Tiafoe the pair chatted #tennis #sneakers. Osaka is with Adidas and Tiafoe with Nike. pic.twitter.com/aU5TnK0fLO — Tim Newcomb (@tdnewcomb) March 5, 2019 Osaka’s initial endorsement interest bubbled up from Japan, as seen from many of her early deals. Her use of Yonex rackets, for example, stemmed from her mom getting in touch with the head of the Japanese-based brand while Naomi was still young. “Her profile has transcended the country,” Duguid says. “The interest is global, especially Asia and the U.S.” With so much of Osaka’s career ahead of her, the growing love of tennis in Asia and major contracts still on the horizon, she has the potential to turn into the top endorsement earner in women's tennis—spots currently held by Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Sloane Stephens and Garbiñe Muguruza—in a sport that dominates female athlete earnings, with eight of the 10 highest-paid female athletes coming from tennis. “Naomi’s broad and very endearing appeal gives her that potential, but she is still very early in her career,” Duguid says. “I am sure Naomi’s priority is on the tennis court and to win more tournaments and Grand Slams. If she continues to do so, then the world is her oyster.” Now she’ll move forward wearing the Swoosh.<doc-sep>Naomi Osaka attends the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on April 4, 2019 in Los Angeles, Photo : Yong Teck Lim ( Getty Images ) She was spotted wearing Adidas on the court as recently as March 22, but it’s official: women’s tennis Grand Slam tournament winner Naomi Osaka will be Nike’s next sports star. The tennis champion and athletic giant announced an endorsement deal late Thursday. Advertisement The move came as a surprise to many sports and business insiders, as it was assumed Osaka would be extending her deal with Adidas, which expired at the end of 2018—an extension Forbes reports was never signed. Additionally, Forbes reports Japanese fast-fashion company Uniqlo made an offer, which Osaka declined. But in an upset worthy of the final moments of the US Open, while Osaka had recently been seen sporting Adidas gear on the court, last night, she was spotted at the Warriors-Lakers game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Ca., a swoosh proudly displayed on her chest. The game was apparently part of Nike’s welcome package. B efore the night was over, Osaka was spotted chopping it up with fellow Nike ambassadors LeBron James and Kevin Durant. While it appears Japanese citizen Osaka may primarily be repping Nike Tokyo to start, in addition to James and Durant, this, of course, also means the two-time Grand Slam tournament winner is joining her idol and competitor Serena Williams at Nike, as well as activist-athlete Colin Kaepernick. Whether or not we’ll ever get to see Osaka and Williams together in one of Nike’s iconic commercials remains to be seen, but the brand wasted no time giving its newest star the Nike treatment—in two languages. Advertisement “I’m proud to become a member of the Nike family and excited about getting involved in all of the opportunities Nike has to offer,” said Osaka in a statement on Nike’s site. “Nike has a legendary track record of writing history and I look forward to being a part of those moments for many years to come.” Advertisement “As we continue to inspire millions of athletes to chase their crazy dreams, Naomi is an incredible talent to add to our roster and help drive our commitment to inspiring a new generation of female athletes,” said Amy Montagne VP, GM of Global Categories. “We are thrilled to have her join our team.” Advertisement Osaka is expected to wear Nike’s Zoom Zero on the court when she competes in the 2019 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany on April 22. And of course, we expect her own gear to soon follow suit. But while huge, the Nike deal is just the latest jewel in the 21-year-old’s growing endorsement crown; since her US Open victory last September, she has signed with Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido, All Nippon Airways, and personal care juggernaut Proctor & Gamble. As for Adidas, missing out on Osaka’s rising star power may be a big loss, but we have a feeling the brand will be okay. After all, they just scored Beyoncé.<doc-sep>
Naomi Osaka has switched course. The rising tennis star made the surprising move of signing an endorsement deal with Nike — ending her relationship with rival sportswear giant Adidas. No financial details were disclosed. Osaka’s former contract with the Germany-based brand expired at the end of 2018. She is expected to debut her new Nike gear at the Stuttgart Grand Prix, which starts on April 22. “I’m proud to become a member of the Nike family and excited about getting involved in all of the opportunities Nike has to offer,” Osaka said in a statement. “Nike has a legendary track record of writing history, and I look forward to being a part of those moments for many years to come.” She also shared the news on social media. “What a welcome, thank you!” Osaka wrote in a Twitter post. The 21-year-old became the first Japanese-born athlete to win one of the four major tournaments when she defeated 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams — who is also a Nike athlete — at the U.S. Open in September. Osaka also took the top prize at the Australian Open in January, securing back-to-back Grand Slams. “Naomi is an incredible talent to add to our roster and help drive our commitment to inspiring a new generation of female athletes,” said Amy Montagne, Nike’s VP and general manager of global categories. “We are thrilled to have her join our team.” The world No. 1 player also boasts deals with watch company Citizen, car manufacturer Nissan and Japanese airline All Nippon Airways. Want more? Adidas Tennis Star Naomi Osaka Gets Her Own Barbie Adidas’ Naomi Osaka Wins Australian Open, Becomes World’s No. 1