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| Contact: | Kendra Calvert Blue Equity, LLC Tel: 502.588.7159 kcalvert@blueequity.com | Sweta Shah 5W Public Relations Tel: 212.584.4314 sshah@5wpr.com |
Rising Tennis Star Victoria Azarenka Signs Multi-Year Extensions with Nike and Head
Youngest Female Ranked in WTA's Top 30 Continues Relationships with Top Brands after Stellar Performance in 2007LOUISVILLE, KY, December 12, 2007 - Belarusian 18-year-old tennis star Victoria Azarenka today announced extensions of her endorsement contracts with both Nike and Head. Both multi-year deals, brokered by agent John Tobias, Vice President of SFX Tennis, a company Azarenka has been signed to since 2006, will include low to mid six-figure ranges for annual guaranteed retainers as well as performance and year-end ranking based bonuses. The Head agreement is an extension of a deal she signed in 2006 as a junior, the same year she was the ITF Junior World champion and Junior US Open champion.
Azarenka holds the fourth highest ranking in a Nike stable of female tennis players which includes Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams and Daniela Hantuchova and is the third ranked female tennis player at Head behind only world #2 Svetlana Kuznetsova and former world #1 Amelie Mauresmo. The past season was highlighted by reaching the Quarterfinals of the US Open and defeating Maria Sharapova in Moscow for her first victory over a top 10 ranked player.
"Victoria is very happy to continue with Nike for the next several years," stated agent and Vice President of SFX tennis John Tobias. "Victoria had a very solid season in 07 and we all expect great things in her future. We are pleased that Nike recognized her potential and stepped to make this deal happen."
The youngest female ranked in the WTA's top 30 players, Azarenka is widely recognized as the next big thing in tennis. She shot up the rankings at a break-neck pace this season, jumping from just inside the top 100 in January to inside the top 30 today. Despite having not won a title on the tour as of yet, the milestones she reached last season are evidence that is likely to change. She reached her first final at Estoril in May, made impressive runs over the following six months, including second place at Tashkent and a drive to the fourth round of the US Open. In addition to defeating Maria Sharapova in 2007, she also took down another top 10 ranked player in Nadia Petrova. Nike's extension of her contract is a testament to her recent play and potential for greatness in years to come.
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Blue Equity's holdings in sports are comprised of SFX Worldwide, Worldwide Football, Blackwave Sports, Team Championships International (TCI), Humarks and Game Seven Sports Marketing. Current clients include Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush, NFL Pro Bowlers DeAngelo Hall, Will Smith and Michael Vick, NBA All-Star Rasheed Wallace, 2007 NBA Lottery picks Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer, Australian, French and US Open Champion Justine Henin, US Open Champion Andy Roddick, No. 1 doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan, Minnesota basketball coach Tubby Smith, Arizona State basketball coach Herb Sendek, Louisville football coach Steve Kragthorpe, Ole Miss basketball coach Andy Kennedy, Arkansas basketball coach John Pelphrey and Massachusetts basketball coach Travis Ford. Media & Event properties include the US Open Tennis Championship, the French Open Tennis Championship, the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, numerous US-based ATP tournaments, Rock 'n Racquets, Hoop It Up, Let It Fly, Kick It, the Boston Marathon, EliteXC Mixed Martial Arts, the Superstars Competition, the AVP Beach Volleyball tour, Ice Wars, the World Cup of Softball, Basketball Hall of Fame Challenge, the Men's and Womens' Fifth Third Bank Tennis Championships and the Men's Ford Tennis Championship.
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