Naomi Osaka, a rising tennis star who won the Australian Open and declared to be No. 1 in women’s singles ranking, gets more sponsors. This attracts eight companies for sponsorship which is double the number from the previous year. She competed against Serena Williams in March at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open and won her first title. As one of Nissan’s brand ambassadors, a “Naomi Osaka model” GT-R sports car was released for pre-orders in 2018. Nissan’s official explained that the ‘Naomi effect’ has continued to have a positive impact.

Yonex’s sports business which also placed emphasis on tennis made a professional contract with Osaka in 2014. It resulted in making more contracts with junior tennis players. Moreover, a Yonex official in the advertising department stated that this brings hope that the rising number of children taking an interest in tennis will also boost sales. An expert in tennis believes that the number of companies that take an interest in sponsorship will increase not just for individuals but also for tournaments.