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US Open Showcases Tennis’s Newest Talent & Future Brand Ambassadors

September 7, 2023

The US Open 2023 continues to unfold as a spectacular stage for emerging tennis talent, showcasing the next generation of rising stars as they face off on center court in the country’s most anticipated annual tournament.  

At just 20 years old, Carlos Alcaraz is quickly becoming a bona fide tennis sensation both on the court and on social media. His impressive engagement score of 7.4M and a 7% engagement rate—eclipsing the average engagement rate of 2.3% for major pro sports athletes—his partnerships with luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Rolex have been resounding successes, speak to his standing as a sought-after brand ambassador whose sponsorship stable will surely explode.

While Ben Shelton—another 20-year-old phenom who just became the youngest American US Open semi-finalist in 30 years—may have only 2 deals currently, with On-Running and Yonex, his sky-high 12% engagement rate makes him a virtual shoe-in for future top-tier brand partnerships.

Americans Taylor Fritz and Francis Tiafoe are also making waves. Californian Fritz has 12 endorsement deals spanning 10 different categories and total social media engagement exceeding 140K, while Tiafoe, whose 12 deals include Barclays, Yonex, and Cadillac, has more than doubled his Instagram following to over 740K in the past year.

At just 19, Coco Gauff’ boasts an impressive sponsorship portfolio of 7 partnerships–UPS, Barilla, BOSE, and American Eagle, among them, showcasing her wide appeal to a diverse range of brands. She’s also the first American teenager to reach the final four since Serena Williams in 2001–a distinction that will further fuel her already undeniable marketability. 

Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka's social media following has soared 148% across all social platforms (Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok) in the last year. With an engagement rate of 8.2%, she's quickly becoming one of the most popular tennis players of her generation, and an alluring potential ambassador for brands. Her current 4 deals include Maestro Dobel Tequila, WHOOP, and Nike. 

Meanwhile, Latvian tennis star Jelena Ostapenko recently won the Birmingham Classic, upsetting defending champion Iga Świątek for her first win over a world #1 since 2017, before making it to her first US Open quarterfinal this week, where she lost to Gauff. Though she may have fewer deals than her opponent, with 6–including blue-chip brands like Emirates, Wilson, and adidas–her 125K in total engagement underscores her burgeoning appeal and potential in the world of tennis endorsements.

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