Why Roger Federer Left Nike For Uniqlo

Tony Godsick, Roger Federer's long-time agent and business partner, takes us inside one of the wildest athlete negotiation stories: the year he spent trying to renew with Nike and how he ended up landing Uniqlo instead.

Plus: how Monica Seles handed him Roger as a client in 2005, why being Swiss was a branding superpower, and how Federer still has 13 sponsors three years into retirement.

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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 – Cold open
0:30 – How Tony Godsick became Roger Federer's agent
1:40 – What made the partnership work
2:02 – Building the Federer brand strategy
2:22 – The Nike deal runs out
3:06 – Three majors in the middle of a negotiation
3:40 – Leaving Beaverton without a deal
4:24 – "He's already branded" — the market says no
4:35 – The Anna Wintour favor
5:05 – 30 minutes in Japan with Tadashi Yanai
6:00 – Why Uniqlo was the right fit
6:21 – The On opportunity
7:18 – 13 sponsors, three years retired

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Served with Andy Roddick is your home for all the ATP and WTA Tours Tennis Breaking News, Draw Previews, Match Recaps, Player Interviews, Match Previews and more. We will be covering the 2026 Australian Open, to talk about the results of the best players including Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Rafael Nadal, Coco Gauff, Iga Świątek, Naomi Osaka, Aryna Sabalenka, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Emma Raducanu, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Roger Federer, Jack Draper.