The names Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic quickly come up when it comes to superstars in men’s tennis. Rightly – but a name must be mentioned in the same breath: Kei Nishikori.
Roger Federer has just signed a deal of 300 million with the Japanese outfitter Uniqlo. The same logo is on Kei Nishikori’s chest, but the Swiss and Japanese have even more in common. Both players are absolute and revered superstars.
Of course, Federer and Rafael Nadal are the absolute stars in men’s tennis. Closely followed by Novak Djokovic. Wrong. According to the Forbes ranking, Nishikori is clearly number three in the tennis circuit. The 27-year-old is revered in his home country like a pop star and collects several million dollars for it. In 2017, around 34.6 million US dollars to be precise. Damir ranks 35th in the list of the world’s highest paid athletes.
For comparison: Federer received 77.2 million US dollars, Nadal 41.4 million US dollars. Wimbledon’s winner and semi-final opponent at the US Open Novak Djokovic is 86th in the rankings and “only” took home 23.5 million US dollars. But what are Nishikori’s revenues made up of?
In Japan every company secures a piece of Nishikori as soon as the opportunity arises. For example, the portrait of the tennis star beer bottles from Asahi. Nishikori is shown in oversize on Japan Airliners and the luxury car manufacturer Jaguar also launched a “Kei Edition”.
However, this is outbid by the instant noodle company Nissin. Nishikori’s face can be seen on the packaging of the Cup Noodles and the company also secured the naming rights of the 27-year-old. This even goes as far as to require Nishikori/Nissin to write in the Japanese press instead of Nishikori standing alone. The hype around the sportsman exceeds any extent.
A visit to his home country is almost impossible for Nishikori. People’s enthusiasm for their tennis god is too great. “I like being in Japan, but I can’t be there more than a month or two a year, otherwise I could go crazy. I can’t go around town, I have to hide. Or I’d have to wear camouflage clothes,” the Japanese player explained at the US Open.