Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz outclassed World No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the Madrid Open in a thrilling three-set match that lasted more than three and a half hours on Saturday. The victory comes a day after the 19-year-old defeated his idol, Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic has failed to win any of his four events this year, after being deported from Australia ahead of the Australian Open when his medical waiver visa was cancelled. Losses are also piling up off the pitch for the Serb.
Deportivo has confirmed that UKG has ended its relationship with Djokovic. The tech firm partnered with Djokovic in early 2019 when it was known as Ultimate Software, before merging with Kronos. It was part of a push into tennis that also included the Miami Open.
“The sponsorship deal was already planned to expire this year and we mutually agreed there would be no renewal,” a UKG spokesman said in an email.
In March, Peugeot announced that it would not renew its sponsorship deal with Djokovic, which began in 2014. Peugeot and UKG were the partners for Djokovic’s patch on both sleeves of his Lacoste jerseys. Patch associations are among the most lucrative real estate for tennis players due to the airtime they gain during close-up matches as players serve and pace the court. Djokovic had UKG up his sleeve in Dubai in February, but not when he appeared in Monte Carlo last month or the Madrid Open the past two weeks.
Lacoste stays with Djokovic for now. It is by far his most lucrative endorsement partner and can be worth up to $10 million annually, including bonuses when the 20-time Grand Slam winner has a breakout year on the court. His other remaining sponsors include Head, Asics, Hublot and Raiffeisen Bank.
UKG has turned to golf for its sports marketing efforts, with a dozen professionals in its sponsorship stable, including Will Zalatoris, Fred Couples, Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson. This week, it announced plans to sponsor the NWSL Challenger Cup, which will earn players 10x the bonus checks expected.
Djokovic ranked fourth last year among the world’s highest-paid tennis players, with $33.4 million in prize money, endorsements and appearance fees. His career $155 million prize money from him is the best of all time, $24 million ahead of Roger Federer.
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"खाना विशेषज्ञ। जोम्बी प्रेमी। अति कफी अधिवक्ता। बियर ट्रेलब्लाजर। अप्रिय यात्रा फ्यान।"
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