Japanese teenage sensation, Kei Nishikori, has already made his mark on the ATP Tour this year, winning his first career title in Delray Beach over top-seed James Blake.
Last week, he won the Bermuda challenger event over a strong field of contenders, catapulting himself into the Top 100 for the first time in his career.
To mark the event, IMG announced today that Nishikori has signed a three-year global agreement to promote the Sony brand of electronics. Besides general promotion, he will also wear a Sony patch on his right sleeve during tour matches, similar to many other players.
Nishikori also has deals with Adidas and Wilson.
During an interview at the US Clay Court Championships in Houston earlier this month, the shy and reserved teenager said not much had changed in his life following his recent success, with the exception of more endorsement opportunities.
Nishikori’s rise was in part due to another sponsorship from Sony - the Masaaki Morita Tennis Fund, set up and named after the former CEO of Sony Life Insurance. The Fund was set up to support the promotion of Japanese tennis hopefuls by bankrolling their training at the IMG/Bolletteri Tennis Academy. His endorsement deal with Sony now brings Nishikori’s journey full circle.
The 18-year-old has trained in at the Bradenton-based academy since 2003 and is represented by IMG, the same agency as another promising teenager, Nicole Vaidisova.
By winning the International Tennis Championships at Delray Beach in February, Nishikori became the youngest player since Lleyton Hewitt in 1998 to win a maiden ATP Tour title and the first Japanese man since Shuzo Matsuoka in 1992 to accomplish the feat.
Entering the top 100 also brings Nishikori closer to a potential berth at the Olympic Games this summer, which he says is his next goal.