Wimbledon’s commercial director has no issues with Roger Federer pulling off a marketing coup on Centre Court.
Federer drew headlines when he walked onto the court wearing a Uniqlo outfit on Monday for his opening match after ending his decades-long partnership with Nike.
It was the first time the eight-time Wimbledon champion had worn the brand publicly, but organisers said he didn’t violate any of their strict rules in regards to using the tournament for marketing purposes.
“I guess it was like a huge reveal, wasn’t it?” said Mick Desmond, the commercial and media director for the All England Club. “That’s absolutely fine. It’s obviously a marketing coup for Roger. We set the stage, he’s done a reveal.”
Desmond said he was not aware of Federer’s plans, though tournament staff check all players’ kits before the tournament to make sure they don’t violate any rules.
“Providing you’re adhering to the specifications in terms of the all-white rule and the amount of measurement in terms of branding, then that’s fine,” Desmond said. “It would have been checked by the club in terms of a technical perspective. From a commercial perspective, that’s his business.”
