The first big tennis apparel sponsorship change in the new year is Beatriz Haddad Maia‘s replacement of Joma with Asics. The world No.11 signed a head-to-toe multi-year deal with the company founded more than 70 years ago by Kihachiro Onitsuka.
The Brazilian WTA player shared her excitement about switching to Asics tennis clothes and shoes:
“I am thrilled to join Asics, a brand that has a long-standing positive reputation of taking care of their athletes on and off the court. I am a baseline player so as soon as I tested Gel-Resolution 9, I knew it was the right tennis shoe for me with support, stability, and comfort. Asics is known for advanced tennis shoes and apparel of course, but they are just as dedicated to supporting their athletes off the court. Beginning 2024 gives me more confidence to fully focus on my game, in what will be an exciting year.”
At this month’s United Cup, Haddad Maia was clad in Joma, but she started wearing Asics at this week’s Adelaide International, where she lost to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the first round. The Brazilian promoted the Asics Fall Match Tank and Asics Fall Match Skirt, from last year’s collection, although new outfits for the 2024 Australian Open have been launched.
The addition of a highly successful WTA player significantly bolsters the lineup of athletes in the Asics roster. With the departure of the world No.1 Iga Swiatek to join the On family last year, it marked a significant loss for Asics. However, they managed to offset this setback, at least to an extent, by securing the signing of Belinda Bencic.
