Roger Federer won’t fade away into history. When rising stars become the face of the sport, yesteryear legends tend to vanish. Keeping in mind the young generation’s takeover, the Swiss Maestro came up with a staggering idea to stay relevant even after retirement. And it has nothing to do with his 20 Grand Slam titles or his record for the oldest male player (36 years and 320 days) to be number one in the ATP rankings.

Currently, tennis is in its transition phase, with Carlos Alcaraz looking to build his own dynasty. With many other talents, including Ben Shelton from the 2000s batch rising up the ranks, Federer’s thought process is pretty valid. His latest move into American tennis is both a show of his business acumen and a bid to cement his legacy.

Roger Federer’s plan to build a new legacy to stay relevant

Certain athletes have managed to stay relevant for decades after their retirement. By launching their own signature products, future generations can remember the athletes for years down the line. In tennis, Stan Smith has already done it. The American legend has won two major titles. However, the current generation of fans know him better for his signature shoes with Adidas, and not for his tennis accolades. Federer devised a similar plan.

As per Complex, he said, “Stan Smith, he’s a sneaker. Maybe this will be the same or is already to some extent, some people who maybe don’t follow tennis and they go in the store and would like to buy The Roger. They don’t know, potentially, who I am anymore. I think if you know that guy was even a decent tennis player, I think it gives you some relevance as well.”

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Back in 2019, Roger Federer signed with ‘On’ and became a 3% owner. This 3% ownership was worth $180 million.

This deal was much bigger than his previous Nike deal that he left back in 2018. As per several reports, the star left the brand because of monetary issues. Nike was paying him $10 million a year, but there were sweeter deals on the market. His experience with Nike and On gave him a perspective on how athletes should approach brand deals.

Now, Federer’s On had also helped Ben Shelton.

Ben Shelton benefits from Federer’s shoe at the US Open

Shelton’s US Open run has been nothing short of a fairytale. He was struggling to notch up wins for months and was on the verge of facing a major slump after a good show in Australia. However, the prodigy stepped up in front of the home crowd. After 10 days of on-court brilliance, he faced the ultimate test in tennis: facing off against Novak Djokovic in a Grand Slam.

Donning On’s signature Roger Federer shoes did wonders for the prodigy. In fact, On also updated the ‘Roger Pro’ version of the sneaker to ‘Roger Pro 2’ specifically for Shelton. But unfortunately, the Serbinator proved to be a little too dominating for the young star.

‘Is He Doing What Alcaraz or Djokovic Is Doing?’ – Ahead of Ben Shelton’s Monumental US Open Semifinal, the American’s Former Coach Makes a Bold Prediction

Shelton has signed a deal with On. So it is quite natural that he also uses their equipment. The brand was initially known for its running shoes, but they have now expanded to include tennis, trail, and hiking shoes too.

Nonetheless, both Shelton’s game and Federer’s collaboration show immense promise of a legacy. What do you think?

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