Djokovic opens up about split with some of his sponsors following Australian Open
ATP
Following his departure from the Australian Open earlier this year, Novak Djokovic has spoken out about his split with several of his sponsors, and he has now shed more light on the situation.
The Serbian has revealed details of a phone chat he made with the CEO of one of his biggest sponsors, Lacoste, which is still supporting him. Djokovic has worked with the company since 2017, and the CEO understood his stance.
However, that wasn't the case for all of his sponsors. Djokovic talked about the situation at the 2022 Roland Garros when talking to the Serbian media present.
"There are things I cannot talk about before public statements are made. My main sponsors stayed with me and I am grateful for it, but some sponsors I no longer have. That is all that I can say - it is not my place to evaluate whether somebody should have stayed with me or left me."
"We have been in regular contact, mostly Edoardo [Artaldi, one of Djokovic’s agents], but I have personally spoken with the head of Lacoste. They understood the whole situation, everything that was happening."
"As their global ambassador, I am important to them. But their position was not easy. They have told us that they have been under pressure from the media, from some clients that maybe weren’t happy with me staying with the company."
Djokovic is obviously grateful that Lacoste stood by him even when his situation was not simple. That's also why he feels prompted to represent the brand in the best possible way, as he did up until now.
"Challenges always present themselves, so to say, but I think they made a good choice and I am grateful. I will try to represent the Lacoste brand just like I did up until now in the best possible way. After all, it is a brand with great tradition - one of the greatest in tennis. And I am proud to wear the crocodile on my shirt."
