MEN’s tennis has never been in better shape, and it all starts at the top, where the two brand ambassadors – Rog and Rafa – are among the most popular and bankable investments across all sports globally. It’s a twisted rivalry, where both players may at the end of their careers be considered the greatest of all time, despite the negative correlation that their respective career paths have exemplified. What’s striking about this ‘intense rivalry’ is that both players have for the most part been able to win over the grudging admiration from and respect of, staunch loyalists of the other. This is extremely unusual, especially in individual sports. The reason why this is the greatest era for the business of tennis is because the two are such contrasts, yet the core remains the same. For all the greatness that Federer exudes, the grace, the humility, the class and the sportsmanship, it would take an elephantine memory and some artistic license to actually recount an incident where Nadal has behaved in a manner unbefitting of a consummate professional and compassionate human being; traits that even his biggest critics must accept he possesses in no small measure. Watching Nadal silently and feelingly applaud Denis Istomin’s sliding passing shot in the second-set tie-breaker at this year’s US Open must have ensured that even die-hard Federer supporters would marvel at the dignity which Rafa possessed, even under duress.
Roger-Rafa: A rivalry made in tennis heaven.
For players who are extremely intense, and whose passion for the game will forever keep them ensconced within tennis, it’s a mind-boggling fact that neither Nadal nor Roger, at least in recent memory, have been given code violations, or been accused of any on-court tantrums that could in any manner be perceived as detrimental to their exalted statuses, or more importantly, to their brands. Tennis, for the first time in recent memory, is at its peak from a branding perspective, and more importantly from an ROI perspective. This is why the Rafa-Roger debate is so lucrative for the sport in general.
What’s even more amazing is the sheer number of bankable and popular tennis players on the men’s circuit, just waiting for a look-in, and with a sizeable fan following of their own. Andy Murray is an extremely popular train-wreck who, the moment he derails his fractured dreams, and actually lives up to his potential, will be a massive cross-over star, possessing the personality to stir up emotions like few others. Andy Roddick, poor performances aside, and despite aging somewhat, is the true American hero, married to a supermodel, and with a giant personality and sharp wit, which endears him to millions of fans, much in the mold of an Agassi. Del Potro, Monfils and Tsonga are temperamental but each brings a component that is capable of superlative performances yet the subtle unpredictability attuned to which of each one’s personality will show up on the day, and how each will respond to the curve-balls thrown in his way. Fernando Verdasco, if he can put it all together, would combine the lefty’s flair, with a Spaniard’s grit, and movie-star looks to boot. And then, there is the ever enigmatic Djokovic. ‘Nole is someone who stirs strong emotions, gentle and sportsmanlike at times, dramatic and condescending at others. Amazingly, he too possesses a significant fan-following, and given a chance to ascend the rankings, few could question his bankability as a legitimate top three in the world of men’s tennis.
What is amazing however is that these personalities coexist at a time when the people’s champions remain the R’s. Their contrasting similarities help them target brands and demographics while retaining the wholesomeness of a healthy rivalry, and bankable persona. What makes this rivalry or era even more bankable, is that each is so different from the other in any quantifiable manner, yet the cherished and coveted components remain the same from a sponsor or endorsers’ point of view. What makes tennis a real factor globally now, is that Golf is on the wane or at least on a hiatus as Tiger claws his way back, Lefty tries to get his life and game back on track, Sergio Garcia and Villegas either perish or wane in the quest to return to their best, and there is no clear cut heir to the branding throne that Tiger and Lefty once felt was theirs for life.
With Rohan Bopanna’s outstanding achievements, and the phenomenal come from behind Davis Cup victory in Chennai over the weekend, men’s tennis in India is also set for great things. Men’s tennis in India today boasts two of the greatest doubles players in the history of the game, one of the most highly touted juniors globally in Yuki Bhambri, arguably the greatest collegiate tennis player in the history of the NCAA’s in Somdev Devvarman, and now, the enticing prospect of an Indo-Pakistan combination with the skills, size, and experience to dominate men’s doubles in times to come, if all goes according to plan. Incidentally, the top-ranked collegiate player from Somdev’s alma mater, University of Virgina, is also an Indian – Sanam Singh. It would be hard to explain this away as a cosmic coincidence, and Indian tennis will flourish and thrive as more Indians take heart from the results and accomplishments, and avail of the opportunities that are likely to be made available now that tennis is once again a mainstream sport in India.
