Will Serena have to buy her own tennis shoes?
As tennis declines in popularity in the U.S. and the recession sets in, some big-name pro players are losing their shoes...Or, at least, their shoe endorsement deals. The top ranked women’s player, Jelena Jankovic, wasn’t resigned by Reebok (which just layed off 310 workers). Instead, she struck a deal with a Chinese shoe company, Anta. James Blake left Nike last week (where he’s been since 1998), and signed on with Fila, which doesn’t have a history of supporting top tennis players. Meanwhile, Serena Williams’s is still in talks with Nike, after her contract expired last month. At this rate, tennis pros might actually end up buying their own shoes.
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