Lacoste’s decision to stand by Novak Djokovic despite his anti-vaccine stance paid off when Djokovic won his twenty-first grand slam at Wimbledon. In celebration Lacoste sent off the following email:
And Lacoste is celebrating with a new sale on Tennis Gear.
According to Tennis Now, the French tennis pro Fiona Ferro has signed an endorsement deal with Lacoste:
“Lacoste was my first partner and the first brand that believed in me when I was 10 years old,” Ferro said. “Today I am proud to be able to wear the crocodile on the world tour again. It’s a brand that suits me perfectly: I’m combative on the courts, I like to take risks and it’s this boldness and tenacity that can sometimes make the difference during a match.”
Ferro is currently ranked #43 in the world. Read more at Tennis Now.
Updated: Inside the Games has some more details on Lacoste’s agreement with ATP:
Lacoste has become an official supplier of the ATP Tour after extending its deal with the governing body through to 2023.
The French company, founded by tennis player René Lacoste and André Gillier in 1939, will be the official outfitter and official footwear of the Tour.
Read more at Inside the Games.
Lacoste’s emphasis on tennis continues with the ATP Tour announcing that Lacoste and ATP have extended their partnership for multiple years:
The ATP and Lacoste have announced a multi-year extension of their highly successful partnership. The agreement will see Lacoste transition into an Official Supplier of the ATP Tour, through 2023, following a long-standing partnership with the Nitto ATP Finals, the ATP’s season-ending finale.
The new agreement will see Lacoste become the Official Outfitter and Official Footwear of the ATP Tour, granting the ‘Crocodile’ brand marketing rights and exposure on ATP Tour digital platforms.
In addition, Lacoste will continue to outfit ATP staff throughout the season.
“We are proud to be extending the ATP’s long-term relationship with Lacoste, now in its 19th year,” said Massimo Calvelli, ATP CEO. “As one of the world’s leading fashion brands, whose heritage is rooted in tennis, Lacoste has huge crossover appeal and is a perfect fit for the ATP and our vision for the sport. We are excited at the opportunity to continue our storytelling together.”
“At Lacoste, elegance is more than just a story of style on and off the court, it is a state of mind that we have shared with the ATP for 19 years now and that we are proud to perpetuate today with the renewal of our contract” said Thierry Guibert, Lacoste CEO.
The press release is on the ATP Tour website.
Lacoste has been connected with tennis since its founding, but it has renewed its promotional emphasis on the sport in the last ten years. A key part of this promotional strategy has been Lacoste’s promotional contracts with pro tennis players. The most famous of their current stars is Novak Djokovic, but they have also signed rising stars like Daniil Medvedev. And, now, Lacoste has announced it’s re-signed Medvedev:
“Lacoste is proud to announce the renewal of the contract with rising tennis star Daniil Medvedev until 2026. In the essence of the brand’s founder, it is his elegance of play and his spirit that Lacoste wishes to transmit through the extension of his contract.”
Read more at Essentially Sports.
The New York Times has an article on the four French tennis players known as the “Four Musketeers” of whom the most famous is René Lacoste:
When Rafael Nadal won his 13th French Open this month, he donned a neon-pink face mask and kissed the trophy, known as La Coupe des Mousquetaires. He then removed his mask and bit the handle.
The trophy is an homage to Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste, known as the Four Musketeers, the revered Frenchmen who put their nation on the tennis map in the 1920s and ’30s.
Read more at the New York Times.