A few weeks ago, Nike officially partnered with pickleball prodigy Anna Leigh Waters. The 19-year-old star was chosen by the American fashion brand for her image and style, which align with its strategy of sponsoring prominent athletes in racket sports.

Waters is the first professional pickleball player to collaborate with Nike, primarily because she is currently considered the best. Waters has won 181 PPA titles, including 39 "hat-tricks" where she secured championships in singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles at the same event. Despite her young age, Waters has already been recognized by the pickleball community as the greatest female player of all time, holding the world number one ranking in all singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles categories.

Tay vot pickleball Anna Leigh Waters. Anh: PPA Tour

Waters' excellence has made her a representative face for pickleball, connecting her with many tennis legends. In April 2025, Waters partnered with Andre Agassi at the US Open pickleball tournament in Florida, securing a win. Both also participated in different teams at the Pickleball Slam event, which featured several former top five tennis players like Eugenie Bouchard and James Blake.

Waters is not only one of the most sought-after names in pickleball, but her choice also reflects the evolving trend in racket sports fashion. Before joining Nike, she was affiliated with Fila. However, the two parties did not reach a mutual agreement when their contract expired in 2025. Fila, an Italian brand, once dominated the tennis scene but is gradually fading.

Similarly, Nike's presence is not as widespread as it once was, but unlike Fila, this is a clear strategy for Nike: concentrating resources on a select few of the best and most famous players, such as Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, Naomi Osaka, and Zheng Qinwen. Nike no longer spreads its investments broadly as it did in the past.

Among the current top 20 ATP players, 12 have either partnered or are currently partnering with Nike. In women's tennis, all five top-ranked WTA players have worked with the brand. However, many stars and young talents have switched brands in recent years, resulting in a situation where only three male players in the top 20 and two female players in the top five wear Nike apparel.

Jack Draper, world number 12, chose the Vuori brand last August after his contract with Nike ended. The new partner reportedly agreed to pay Draper around 5 million USD annually. Rising stars like Ben Shelton and Joao Fonseca have moved to the On fashion brand. Shelton, the American player, stated in 2024 that he "didn't want to be overshadowed in the Nike army."

In addition to the two aforementioned players, On — a Swiss brand backed by Roger Federer in 2023 — also supplies match wear for Iga Swiatek. The winner of six Grand Slam titles previously wore Nike apparel early in her career.

Late last year, Nike representatives affirmed that they still allocate a significant budget for all levels but also limit the number of partners, "selecting partners who are outstanding or iconic athletes globally." Nike offers generous compensation to the biggest names based on their performance results and the reliability of their collaboration.

Sabalenka tai giai My Mo rong 2025, tren san Arthur Ashe, New York, My thang 9 nam ngoai. Anh: Reuters

Nike has established a strict player "salary" structure, not hesitating to discontinue support if a partnership is deemed unsuitable. According to Hard Court, many players who lost form and were low on the priority list had their sponsorship money cut by Nike early this year, even if they retained agreements for apparel and some other accessories.

Many have left Nike in the past few years, including Grand Slam winners like Marketa Vondrousova, as the 2023 Wimbledon champion did not have her contract renewed. Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open winner, experienced a similar situation. In a 2023 interview, Stephens stated: "If you're with companies like Nike, you have to be number one like Lebron James. Otherwise, your image is unlikely to appear frequently in public."

Men's player Frances Tiafoe shared Stephens' sentiment: "Instead of being obscure among Nike's faces, you can be the top face somewhere else." Tiafoe began working with Lululemon in January 2025 after his agreement with Nike expired.

With the dominance of Sinner and Alcaraz in men's tennis, and to some extent Sabalenka in women's tennis, Nike remains a major force. Owning such enormous names helps them control a large, stable market. For example, during the US Open, Sabalenka's custom-designed outfit was prominently displayed in Nike's largest stores in New York.

This is precisely the goal Nike aims for as it enters the pickleball market with star Waters. The similarities in fashion trends between tennis and pickleball provide a basis for Nike to place high hopes on an explosion in expanding its investment portfolio.

Vy Anh