“he began to lose sponsors, which is related to the COVID-19 vaccination turmoil,” Forbes reads. Peugeot, which has been one of the main sponsors of the tennis player for eight years, has decided to end the partnership.
Carlos Tavares, CEO of the Stellantis Group, to which Peugeot belongs, confirmed this information at a press briefing. “The CEO was honest and firm in his response,” Forbes points out.
Change of position
Following Djokovic’s deportation from Australia, Peugeot was one of the tennis sponsors who did not contest their cooperation. A few days ago, the Serb returned to the court, playing at the tournament in Dubai (in the United Arab Emirates they do not require vaccinations). Before this happened, sources close to the French company admitted in an interview with Reuters that the relationship with Djokovic will continue and “our brand logo will be represented on the Djokovic jersey in Dubai.”
The French car company, however, made a 180-degree turn.
Another blow
The loss of the sponsor is another blow to Djokovic, who lost his lead in the ATP rankings on Monday. The Russian Danił Medvedev became the new leader. In January, Djoković was not admitted to the Australian Open, and in his absence, Rafael Nadal won the 21st Grand Slam title in his career in Melbourne, ahead of Djokovic and Roger Federer in the giants’ race (Switzerland and Serbs each have 20 titles).
Djokovic’s future remains uncertain. In Dubai, he unexpectedly lost in the quarter-finals to Czech Jiri Veseli 4: 6, 6: 7. At the conference, he admitted that he might not perform at the March Masters events in Indian Wells and Miami. To play in the US, he would have to opt for the vaccination.
His participation in Roland Garros, which begins at the end of May, is also questionable. Djoković admitted in an interview with the BBC that he is not going to vaccinate for now and is ready to miss Roland Garros and the next Grand Slam tournaments. – This is a price I am willing to pay. The rules for making decisions about my body are more important than any title or anything else. I try to live in harmony with my body as much as I can. I’ve never been against vaccinations, but I’ve always advocated the freedom to choose what you take –
More sponsors will stop being silent?
In the wake of the turmoil before the Australian Open, clothing company Lacoste initially questioned the continued collaboration with the tennis player, but officially nothing changed. “We will contact Djokovic as soon as possible to analyze the events surrounding his presence in Australia,” wrote a Lacoste press release on 18 January.
Raiffeisen Bank International said in a statement that it will continue to sponsor Djokovic. “Our decision was made long before the current news on Novak, its COVID-19 vaccination status and participation in the Australian Open,” the Austrian bank said.
A similar opinion was expressed by Hublot, a manufacturer of luxury watches. “Djoković decides for himself. We cannot comment on his personal decisions,” said the Swiss watch company.
Other Serb sponsors – Asics, Head, Lemero, NetJets and Ultimate Software Group – did not respond to Forbes’ request for comment. Thanks to sponsors, Djoković earned $ 30 million last year alone.
-It’s natural that most sponsors prefer to remain silent, refuse to expose themselves to the shot. For now, they are trying to wait. However, I believe that if a tennis player decides not to vaccinate and the “drama” around him continues, sponsors will rather look for evacuation routes from cooperation with the Serb or a strong limitation of relations and exposure. This case has gotten too high-profile globally and is about a pandemic, a problem that is too topical and will not go away quickly –
On the court, 34-year-old Djoković has earned 154 million dollars so far.
Source: Sport
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
