Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka has added another deal to her endorsement portfolio after signing on as a brand ambassador for electronics giant Panasonic. The contract with Electronics firm will last for two years and see the 23-year-old work the company on a variety of activations.
Specific details of the partnership are not publicly revealed with Panasonic stating broadly that Osaka’s values, including on social issues, ‘deeply resonate’ with the company’s management philosophy.  Panasonic added that it will work in Osaka to ‘create an ideal society for every person. In a detailed three-point statement, Panasonic confirmed the association. This statement covered the sporting and social impact Osaka has made in recent years.
A four-time Grand Slam champion, Osaka already has commercial deals with the likes of Workday, Tag Heuer, and Louis Vuitton, all of which were signed in 2021, in addition to partnerships with Nike, Beats by Dre, and Mastercard, among others. She also owns equity stakes in BodyArmor and Hyperice.
Osaka’s success on the court has seen a significant improvement in her earnings in prize money and endorsement deals. The Japanese Tennis star made history in the last 12 months by becoming the leading female athlete to earn close to $55 million in sponsorship deals and prize money. With Naomi Osaka getting started in her career, it is likely that this record is going to be broken almost every other year during her time on the court.
Even though Naomi Osaka is currently taking a small break from Tennis, it doesn’t stop brands from associating with the Japanese Tennis star. She has decided to take a break from tennis after experiencing depression and anxiety, seeing her withdraw from the French Open. Osaka will not feature in Wimbledon. However, she would most likely return for the Olympics in Tokyo in July. Brands associated with her may come up with Olympics-specific campaigns to get visibility at one of the biggest sporting events in the world.