Nike Nabs Naomi Osaka From Adidas in Surprise Endorsement Deal
- Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed by the U.S. sports brand
- Adidas was seen ready to pay record sum to renew tennis star
Tennis star Naomi Osaka surprised industry watchers by signing an endorsement deal with Nike Inc., switching from the U.S. sports brand’s biggest rival, Adidas AG.
The sports world had been anticipating that Adidas would pay a record sum to renew a clothing endorsement with No. 1-ranked Osaka, who seized global media attention by defeating Serena Williams at the U.S. Open last year. The Times of London had reported the winning bidder for Osaka’s clothing deal would pay about $8.5 million.