Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka has expanded her already extensive sponsorship portfolio via an agreement with human resources firm Workday.
The recent deal follows her partnership with Swiss luxury watch company Tag Heuer last week, in addition to a prior agreement with French fashion designer Louis Vuitton.
Osaka is is currently ranked as the third best player in the world by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and has lifted three Grand Slam and two US Open trophies
Under the terms of her latest agreement, the athlete will wear the Workday logo on her playing clothing in tournaments, starting with the ‘A Day at the Drive’ exhibition event in Adelaide, Australia on 8 February.
Workday referenced Osaka’s status as ‘a leading voice of the social justice movement’ as one of the motivating factors behind the company’s pursuit of a deal, citing the player’s support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement throughout 2020.
“I take great pride in who I partner with and am honoured to team up with Workday,” Osaka noted. “We have shared values, and together, we will continue to strive to do the right thing.”
In addition to her tennis accomplishments, Osaka became the highest paid female athlete in the world in 2020, earning around $34 million from sponsorship agreements alone.
However, she has attracted some criticism from fellow players this week when it was revealed she, along with tennis legends Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, is entitled to five hours outdoor training a day in addition to the use of an in-hotel gym whilst quarantining ahead of the upcoming tournament in Adelaide.
This has led to allegations of preferential treatment by other players preparing for the competition, who must adhere to a strict 14 day quarantine and are unable to leave their hotel rooms in Melbourne.
