As Andy Murray strives to break down the barriers between himself and the grand-slam tournament title he so yearns for, it was confirmed last night that he has signed a five-year, £10 million deal with adidas that includes wearing a new tennis shoe called The Barricade.
It was during the US Open in September that The Times revealed that the 22-year-old, the world No 2 at the time, was about to break from his contract with Fred Perry — to which he had signed as a teenager and was determined to stay loyal to during the centenary of its founder’s birth — to move into the big league of clothing companies with adidas.
So it was confirmed last night when the German-based company announced that Murray will be joining a group that includes among its tennis glitterati Novak Djokovic, the world No 3, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gilles Simon, from France, Fernando Verdasco, the Spaniard, and Justine Henin, the former women’s world No 1 from Belgium, who returns to the WTA Tour in January after an 18-month “retirement”. Tim Henman, the former British No 1 was a long-time adidas client.
Most intriguingly, David Beckham, the former England captain and one of the famed brand leaders for adidas, is also represented by 19 Entertainment, the group that began to manage Murray this year.
Murray, who has won 13 titles on the ATP Tour, is delighted with the move. “I’m excited to be joining a massive global sports brand with a credible heritage in tennis,” he said. “Joining a list of stars who have worn the brand, that includes Muhammad Ali and David Beckham, is an honour. I’m in no doubt that this deal will help me both on and off the court.”
After a six-week layoff because of a wrist injury, Murray made a successful return to action last night. He took exactly one hour to wrap up a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Daniel Gimeno-Traver, a wild-card entry from Spain, in the first round of the Valencia Open.
Murray will launch his new attire, called the “Competition and Barricade colourways”, when he plays for the first time in the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia, with Laura Robson in January.
The adidas deal represents the first coup for 19 Entertainment since it persuaded the Scot to join its sporting portfolio at the start of the year. It cements the No 4 men’s player in the world among the most visible and marketable young sports personalities and emphasises the promises upon which he will hope to build in 2010, his fifth year on the professional tour.
The two biggest clothing deals of men’s tennis involve Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the world Nos 1 and 2, respectively, who are locked into long-term contracts with Nike. By signing Murray to join Djokovic, adidas has further strengthened its position in the sport.
It will be fascinating to see which of the brands take their place on top of the podiums at the leading championships next year and beyond.
(Source: Timesonline.co.uk)
