Andre Agassi’s on and off-court antics during his time on the ATP Tour played a crucial role in enhancing the popularity of the sport in the 90s. Apart from being a striking figure on the court, the American tennis legend also entered the spheres of the fashion realm. The two most renowned sports fashion powerhouses, Nike and Adidas, also collaborated with the former tennis player by offering him lucrative endorsement deals.

It was Nike that initially made Agassi their brand ambassador, considering his sheer brilliance on the tennis court. Later, the 8-time singles Grand Slam champion made a controversial switch to their rival brand, Adidas. Speaking of their split, Nike’s former director of tennis, Mike Nakajima, recently opened up about how their relationship with Agassi was affected after his switch.

Mike Nakajima details Andre Agassi’s controversial switch to their rival brand

Nike’s former Director of Tennis for US sports marketing was recently featured in the Sports Business Radio podcast in which he discussed his relationship with some greatest players, including Andre Agassi. In the podcast, Nakajima was asked how Agassi’s controversial switch to their rival brand, Adidas, affected their relationship.

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Speaking of the same, he said, “Yeah, it is a little tough. He got a little tough for me, you know, without getting into too much details. Andre has been nothing but great to our company. And I feel like we’ve done the same thing with it, but sometimes, you know, disagreement and, and sometimes things don’t work out the way you want it to.

He added, “And it’s because even though that it hurts, you know, at the end, he did end up coming back. And we still enjoy having him.”

Despite expressing his disappointment, the former Director of Tennis at Nike also had words of praise for ‘The Punisher’. Along with his unmatchable on-court fashion sense, Nakajima also lavished praise on his confident and brash attitude in the sporting realm. He added that his remarkable performances played a pivotal role in adorning their brand name in the industry. He also compared Agassi to his compatriot and another tennis great, John McEnroe.

Agassi returned to Nike after a brief period with their rival brand, Adidas. Speaking of the same, Nakajima said that their company was glad when the former tennis player returned to them. He further detailed Agassi’s long history with them, which dates back all the way to 1985. The former director added that without the Tennis Hall of Famer, they wouldn’t have reached those unprecedented heights in the sporting community.

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