Rafael Nadal earns lesser from brands than Naomi Osaka despite being 27th richest athlete

Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal was recently named the 27th richest athlete in the world by Forbes. His on-court rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic both found themselves higher in the list in comparison to the Spaniard. Roger Federer’s US$106 million earnings from prizes and endorsement deals make him the world’s richest athlete, thus making him the first tennis player to top the list by Forbes. Meanwhile, Serbian ace Novak Djokovic is placed at the 23rd position with total earnings of US$44 million.

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Rafael Nadal: Dissecting his comparatively low endorsement earnings

Even though the World No.2 ranked player is placed 27th with estimated earnings of US$40 million, he remarkably falls way behind the likes of Kei Nishikori and Naomi Osaka in terms of earning from endorsements alone. Rafael Nadal’s total earning constitutes US$14 million from prize money and another US$26 million from endorsement.s Meanwhile, Japanese players Naomi Osaka earn US$34 million and Kei Nishikori earn US$31 million from various brands respectively.

Rafael Nadal's endorsement earnings comes from his deals with Babolat, KIA Motors, Nike, Richard Mille, Santander and Telefónica. According to reports, US$10 million out of Rafael Nadal’s US$26 million brand income of 2019 came from American sporting goods manufacturer Nike alone. However, the amount is significantly less if compared to Roger Federer’s 10-year deal with Japan-based Uniqlo of US$300 million.

Apart from signing a lucrative deal with Roger Federer, Uniqlo has also signed a hefty sum with Japan’s very own Kei Nishikori, who is ahead of Nadal in terms of brand income. The popularity of both Kei Nishikori and Naomi Osaka has ascended to an all-time high in Japan. Hence, it is not surprising to know that various Japanese brands are turning to their country's players for endorsement deals.

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Naomi Osaka won the 2018 US Open, thus becoming the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam title. Her win at the 2019 Australian Open confirmed her popularity status in the Asian country, thus opening up a floodgate of money-spinning deals from all corners. Moreover, Osaka is associated with brands like All Nippon Airways, Nissan Motor, Nissin Food and Shiseido, all of which are Japanese. A majority of her US$34 million endorsement earnings are also constituted from these brands.

On the other hand, Rafael Nadal is not as popular among Japanese brands when it comes to endorsements. Since Japan is counted among the countries with the highest purchasing power, Nadal falls behind the likes of Japan’s own tennis heroes Kei Nishikori and Naomi Osaka. Also, when it comes to recognisable tennis figures in overall earnings, the Spaniard has not proven out to be the most attractive proposition by brands in comparison to rivals Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic or even Serena Williams.

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Image credits: Rafael Nadal Instagram