The truth about the shocking breakup between Roger Federer and Nike

On July 2, 2018, the Uniqlo account on social networks caused a shock when it posted a portrait photo of Federer in an all-white outfit, with the fashion company's brand logo on the chest and cuffs, along with a brief announcement: "Welcome Roger Federer, our new global ambassador! ".

On the same day, the global sports press simultaneously reported witnessing the moment the "Express Train" appeared. currently on Center Court at Wimbledon, wearing the Japanese brand's outfit in his opening match against Dusan Lajovic. French newspaper L 'Équipe wrote that day: "Every dynasty must come to an end. Sponsored by Nike from the early days of his career, Federer said goodbye to the 'comma ' brand to switch to Uniqlo ".

Except for insiders, most believe that Federer decided to "quit" Nike - the American sports apparel and accessories company that has accompanied him since the beginning of his career in 1994. But in the podcast Served with Andy Roddick last weekend, the agent Tony Godsick of the former world number one from 2005 until his retirement in 2022 brought another story, also true.

Roddick wondered that not many athletes sign high-value long-term contracts when they only have the last few years of their career left. The former American tennis player also believes that rarely will an athlete who leaves Nike find a better opportunity, but often they just try to find a salvage sponsorship contract before ending their career. But with Federer it's different, thanks to his reputation, global influence, success on the tennis court and image in real life.

"Federer is not the one who actively left Nike ", Godsick shocked Roddick and had to ask again. "That is the truth, not an embellished story. Roger did not leave Nike, Nike was the one who decided not to renew. He is ready to sign the contract again ".

When the 10-year contract from 2008 between Federer and Nike was about to expire, Godsick - also the CEO who manages the former Swiss tennis player's business through the Team8 representative company that they both founded in 2013 - spent the whole year trying to extend it.

"I understand that valuing a 36-year-old athlete who has built a personal brand is impossible. easy", he said. "Most of them no longer compete at their peak after the age of 30. But we have a long history of cooperation and have achieved many successes together. In early January 2017, I went to Nike headquarters to begin a 13-month negotiation process. "

"I know Roger has not won a Grand Slam tournament in 4 years, " still said from Godsick. "So, I told them: 'We need to extend the contract to honor the owner of the most Grand Slams in history at that time. Roger has proven his worth. He has global influence, can help you sell products everywhere. He is also passionate about fashion, and that is not fake. He appeared at fashion shows in Paris and London, is close to Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour of Vogue fashion magazine, and knows many designers. world. Roger and Mirka really love fashion' ".

According to Godsick, he proposed to Nike to design a line of lifestyle shoes inspired by the Stan Smith model, called RF One. However, he had a bad feeling. "Two weeks later, Roger won the Australian Open, " said Godsick, 56 years old. "I thought to myself, 'He gives me an advantage at the negotiating table'. Nike must have been surprised too. But the negotiation process was not easy. Then Roger went on to win Wimbledon. At this time, I had two Grand Slams to negotiate, but Nike made offers that I felt were too outdated. "

The bad feeling gradually turned into worry. Godsick began to lack confidence, he did not think that negotiating an extension would be so difficult. According to the commitment, Nike still has the right to use Federer's logo for two years after the contract ends, and Godsick believes that the company does not want to continue to invest heavily in a 36-year-old tennis player.

"I am not in contact with any other party because I am determined to complete this with Nike ", Godsick asserted.. "But at the 2018 Australian Open, when the contract was only a month away from expiring, Roger won again. From not winning any Grand Slam in 4 years, he won three tournaments during my negotiations. He brought every advantage, but I still couldn't close the contract ".

On the last day of the contract, Godsick went to Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. But after the meeting, he left without reaching any agreement. Godsick recalled: "I flew back to Cleveland from Minneapolis, feeling deeply defeated. I thought to myself: 'I will be remembered in history as the agent who could not renew the contract of the greatest tennis player in history, who had just won a series of Grand Slams '. I called Roger, told him that the deal had not worked out and suggested looking for a new opportunity. "

However, new opportunities did not come immediately to Federer and his longtime friend. Some brands were skeptical and politely refused, others were flatly uninterested. A brand Godsick was not comfortable disclosing told him that Federer's name was closely tied to Nike, making it difficult to reposition. The times he had to receive that shake of the head made him never forget, until he asked an acquaintance.

"I tried to arrange a meeting with Tadashi Yanai, the founder of Uniqlo ", Godsick recalled. "Novak Djokovic had cooperated with Uniqlo, so they had a place in the tennis industry. But I couldn't reach him. Then Anna Wintour, whom I greatly respected, appeared. I vividly remember having breakfast with her at the Mark Hotel in New York, sitting at table number 21, right corner. And I asked her to connect with Mr. Yanai, because they knew each other. The truth can ruin a good story, but This is a true story, not made up at all."

Godsick continued his story, while Roddick listened attentively: "Anna sent a letter and only 12 hours later, I received a text message from Mr. Yanai's assistant. The message read: 'Mr. Yanai knows you want to meet to discuss Roger Federer. Can you come to Japan on this day to meet him for 30 minutes? ' I called Roger: 'What should I do? ' He replied: 'You go to Japan ' ".

At the meeting with the founder and CEO of Uniqlo, Godsick explained everything, without hiding anything. Godsick pledged to Tadashi Yanai that he came to Japan only to meet him, and so the conversation was allowed a lot. more than 30 minutes, with a decisive question from the 76-year-old billionaire.

"Mr. Yanai asked me a sharp question: 'Are you here to take advantage of us? ' ", Godsick emphasized. "I was surprised and asked again: 'What do you mean? ' And he explained: 'We once worked with an athlete from Nike, their contract expired, we made an offer, but Then Nike "matched" the price and made an equivalent offer to retain that athlete. Are you planning to do that too? ' I replied: 'If you meet the conditions and vision that Roger wants, don't worry about how long he will play, and want to work together on fashion, then the final decision is up to you ' '.

The meeting ended with a satisfactory result, Godsick and Uniqlo reached an agreement. However, the final obstacle for the contract to actually be signed is the one-time period. weeks, waiting for a decision to 'match' the price or not from Nike.

Godsick continued: "In many deals, Nike has the right to 'match' the price, that's why they don't want to rush. To this day, I still think we should not do that to athletes. Not so with Roger, because he has been with Nike for 24 years and is a great companion. We see ourselves as a good partner to them. Nike had time to consider, but in the end they chose not to "match" the price.

The contract between Federer and Uniqlo is worth 300 million USD over 10 years, while Nike once paid him about 150 million USD over more than two decades. The Japanese brand promotes the value of the now 44-year-old tennis legend not only through the tennis court.

Godsick recalls: "Uniqlo's senior creative director, John Jay, said something great at the time that I wish I had known sooner: 'Roger will retire from tennis, but not from life. ' That's right! They understand that Roger has value off the court. Nike is different, with more than 750 athletes, they focus on the moments on stage and I completely understand that. that ".

And since Uniqlo doesn't produce shoes, this leaves open an "empty sponsorship category" for Federer, an opportunity to cooperate with another company. Since 2016, Godsick has known the founders of On, a company headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Federer learned about On when his wife started wearing shoes from this brand.

"They always asked if there was any opportunity to collaborate with Roger, the pride of their hometown, " Godsick added. "At that time, I often laughed: 'No way. Roger will stick with Nike forever. He's like Jordan or Kobe '. But in 2018, when the deal with Uniqlo appeared, I met them again and said: 'Let's ask the question! '. They were surprised: 'What do you mean? ' I replied: 'Roger doesn't have a shoe contract. He's about to sign with Uniqlo and step onto the field '. They were worried: 'We're too small, we don't have enough money. ' And I reassured: 'Don't worry. We'll do something different, develop lifestyle shoes, or even tennis shoes. ' When the pandemic hit, On started developing a shoe model.

Together, Federer and On's founders, David Allemann, Olivier Bernhard and Caspar Coppetti, became good partners. In 2019, Federer began holding shares in the growing company, which at that time focused on running shoes. Not only was he a passive investor, he also agreed to help the brand develop its tennis shoe line and lifestyle apparel line. This gamble paid off just two years later when On was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021, in which Federer owned about 3% of the shares. The company currently has a market capitalization of nearly $15 billion, and its shares are up 86% from the IPO price, helping to value Federer's stake in excess of $375 million.

Nike's rejection opened new doors of opportunity for Federer. From the dedication of his friend Godsick, the connection help of a magazine editor, to the contracts with Uniqlo and On, all contributed to helping the 20 Grand Slam champion become the seventh athlete in history to join the billionaire club.