Australian Open: Tony Godsick: Federer’s smart string puller

Of course, he was also right in the middle of the magical night in Melbourne – and not just there: Tony Godsick, long-time manager and business partner of Roger Federer.

Godsick, a smart end forties man from the USA, belongs to the innermost core of the Federer universe. He is the man who is responsible for ensuring that Federer’s business runs silently – even though the Maestro reserves the last word in every deal and sponsorship partnership.

“The basis of our cooperation is absolute trust. And a joint presentation of the work,”says Godsick. Without saying it explicitly, he has also become a friend of Federer’s, in all the years that we have gone a long way together. Godsick knows exactly “how I tick, how I imagine things to be,”says Federer,”we’re on the same wavelength.”

Godsick, who was named by the American business magazine “Forbes” as one of the world’s 50 most powerful sports agents, is almost always present at Federer’s most important appearances, and can usually be seen in the honorary box next to Federer’s wife Mirka. Or in the row behind, like the finals in Melbourne. The seating arrangements may change from case to case, but what does not change is Godsick’s value to the company empire of Federer.

Godsick’s influence has grown slowly but surely over the years, but the American would never emphasize or even suggest that. Godsick knows his relevance, he doesn’t have to talk about it all the time, he hardly ever gives interviews anyway. He has this discretion with almost all people who have very close ties to the tennis king.

You can say a lot about Godsick, but not that he was ever in the wrong place at the wrong time. As a 20-year-old trainee at the marketing giant IMG, he was already supervising Monica Seles, a player who had already won half a dozen Grand Slam titles at the beginning of the collaboration:”It was a wonderful start in tennis, an ideal time to gain a lot of important experience,”says Godsick. Later, he also took care of Tommy Haas’s interests and continued to advance in the IMG hierarchy until he became the company’s most important manager for the tennis section.

And then came the greatest stroke of luck in his professional life – in the shape of Federer. Since 2005, shortly after Federer’s breakthrough to the absolute top of the world, Godsick has been at the tennis-aesthetist’s side. From the outset, he had a very precise philosophy as to what Federer’s sponsors should look like – namely globally relevant brands that ideally suited Federer. Which may even be part of his identity.

Godsick got the big, valuable deals, the contracts with Rolex, Mercedes and Lindt,”It was also Roger’s clear goal that he only wanted to represent the brands behind which he stands,”says Godsick. The 49-year-old American, who is feared to be a tough negotiator, knows many manager colleagues who like to brag in the players’ lounge about how many contracts they have rejected in order to only cooperate with noble brands. He smiles when he says,”All I know is that I refused a lot of deals myself,” in Federer’s sense.

In 2012 Godsick left the stumbling giant IMG and teamed up with Federer for his own company – Team 8. It is not only about Federer’s business, but also about other things. also about the interests of Juan Martin del Potro, Grigor Dimitrov and the US talent Tommy Paul. With their so-called boutique agency, Godsick and Federer are also behind the successful launch of the Laver Cup, the transcontinental exhibition fight that debuted in Prague in September.

The second edition will take place in Chicago this year. Godsick is surrounded by tennis expertise at every turn, so to speak, and his wife is the former world number four Mary-Joe Fernandez. Her wedding day is 8 August, Federer’s birthday is 8 August. Still wondering why Team 8 is the name of your company.