The standout performances of individual sports stars create a powerful commercial appeal that brands cannot ignore. For companies, partnering with athletes whose values extend beyond what they achieve on the field tends to be more productive than aligning with teams that offer less visibility into results. While team sports such as football and basketball attract substantial media attention, many brands feel more confident when associating themselves with singular athletes who personify excellence and personal branding.
“Signing an individual athlete is more attractive than a team athlete because they have greater visibility,” notes Fernando Soler, former global tennis director at IMG. It is no surprise that a sizable portion of the Forbes list of the 50 highest-paid athletes in 2022 came from individual sports like tennis, golf, motor racing, and boxing. This reflects a broader industry trend where solo performers can deliver a direct, personal connection with audiences and sponsors alike.
Enric Jove, managing director of McCann in Barcelona, explains that “associating with an individual athlete provides a more direct activation by leveraging the athlete’s own assets.” At the same time, there is risk: any misstep by the athlete can prompt a brand to reconsider sponsorship. Hence, after a major victory, sponsors often move quickly to capitalize on the moment with media-driven campaigns featuring the athlete in the spotlight.
The clearest exemplar of this trend in Spanish sport is Rafael Nadal. The Manacor native has built a robust portfolio of brand partners that align with his on-court performance each season. Forbes estimates he earns around 26 million euros annually from sponsorships. Brands such as KIA, Nike, Babolat, Movistar, and Banco Santander have replicated this type of deal with other tennis players, illustrating how a successful athlete can become a central branding asset for multiple sponsors.
The business steps are straightforward: leverage the athlete’s on-track performance, adopt their values, mindset, and competitive edge, and craft a branding narrative around those elements. In Nadal’s case, sponsors extend beyond sport itself, accompanying him in a wide range of ventures off the court. The Rafa Nadal Academy and related training projects have grown into a substantial enterprise, reportedly generating more than 20 million euros in annual revenue and proving highly profitable for the athlete and his partners.
Today, the new generation of Spanish tennis players follows in Nadal’s footsteps. Major brands like Nike and Babolat were tied to Nadal even before the current stars broke into the elite level. The automotive sector also holds significant sway in tennis: Nadal has long served as an international ambassador for KIA, while the Alcaraz era caught the attention of BMW, seen by many as a potential profit center for his rising stardom.
The financial appeal of tennis has even extended into the banking sector, though no single institution has yet claimed the position as the sport’s primary sponsor for the current ATP No. 1. In addition to Nadal’s ties with Banco Santander, Banco Sabadell has also supported his endeavors and acknowledged his influence, with the Davis Cup and other major tennis initiatives featuring bank sponsorships as well. Brands such as BBVA have supported other Spanish players like Garbiñe Muguruza in the past.
Mapfre stands out as the most prolific sponsor within Spanish tennis, followed by Dunlop and Orange. The insurer has long partnered with Nadal and has maintained one of the sport’s most loyal sponsorships. It has served as the main sponsor of the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation for over a decade and supports both the men’s Davis Cup team and the Billie Jean King Cup team, among other projects. Mapfre is also tied to the Davis Cup as organized by Kosmos and to the Open Banc Sabadell event, reflecting a deep, multiyear involvement across the sport.
Given the commercial potential, the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation aims to expand its influence within Spanish tennis. The federation announced the addition of a second ATP 250 event to its calendar this summer. The tournament, scheduled for Gijón from October 8-16, will be hosted at the Palacio de Deportes de la Guía and represents a new chapter in the federation’s professional tennis calendar.
In recent years, the federation has also focused on bringing ITF events to Spain to reduce travel barriers for local players seeking ranking points. The upcoming Gijón Open will be the second ATP 250 event hosted on Spanish soil following the Mallorca Championship organized by e|motion. As with the Valencia ATP 250, the Gijón Open will take place on a closed hard court and aims to fuel local talent by offering increased opportunities to compete at a high level without significant international travel.