Every coin has two sides, it is popularly said. The case is no different when it comes to massive sponsorship deals in sports. With the massive sum of money, comes great surprises. Take the example of the sponsorship deals of Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka with the renowned sportswear brand, Nike, having a market capitalization of more than $118 Billion. During a podcast, former American pro, James Blake highlighted a bizarre clause in the massive sponsorship deals of Nike with renowned athletes like Nadal and Osaka.

Back in his teenage years, Nadal signed his first deal with Nike when he was just 13. The two had agreed on a 5-year deal wherein Nadal would earn $500,000 over the 5-year period. Similarly, Naomi Osaka has been a Nike athlete since 2019, signing a multi-year contract worth millions. However, a common factor in the two deals is that both have an exclusivity clause, meaning that Nadal and Osaka cannot endorse competitor brands. During the Nothing Major podcast, Blake highlighted how this clause came in between his venture into modeling.

Revealing the tale about how he was offered a chance to do modeling, Blake said, “Nike doesn’t really let you do a lot of other kind of stuff so I believe there was an offer, but I didn’t really do it. At that time, my agent said, ‘ok, you should do it.’ and I said, ‘ok, sounds good’. I did want to model because I’ll maybe get this and I’ll sign something but it didn’t ever materialize.”

Which sportswear brand has Rafael Nadal been associated with since his teenage years?

Subsequently, Blake never ventured into modeling as he was tied to his Nike deal. Back in 2005, he signed a 4-year deal with the sportswear giant which also had the same exclusivity clause as Nadal and Osaka’s deals. Back then, Blake was among the top American stars in the sport and performed consistently on the ATP Tour.

However, Nike is also known to treat its athletes with great respect. Ahead of the Davis Cup Finals, when Nadal was set to play his final match, the brand paid tribute to him with a wonderful clip.

Before the stage was set for Nadal’s retirement, Nike changed its profile picture on social media handles to Raging Bull, symbolizing Nadal’s logo. Additionally, it also released a video that portrayed Nadal’s greatness on the court.

In the black and white video shared by Nike on social media, the narrator could be heard saying, “When the dust settles, you’ll know you’ve given more than anyone. Chased down every game, shot, point, and put it all on the line for one more win. Not once, but every second, minute, hour, day of your life.”

As the video nears the conclusion, Nadal can be seen walking off the court and the voiceover says, “Greatness. It only takes everything.” Further, in the caption, Nike wrote, “No one has given more to their sport. Or left it all on the court every single time. @RafaelNadal, you showed us what it takes to be the greatest. It only takes everything.”

It was the perfect tribute to the 22-time Grand Slam champion, who has been loyal to Nike since his teenage days. Indeed, the brand returned the love and respect that the two have developed over the years and gave a perfect farewell to him.