Woodbridge: Brand Kyrgios on the rise

The whole tennis world looked at Nick Kyrgios’ win at the Japan Open and thought ‘isn’t it great? It’s the best win of his career’. But I look at it and think that there’s more to it than that.

We know that he has real commercial draw and companies like that edginess. But while twelve months ago there might have been a wait and see strategy, this year we have seen him turning around in maturity and now the racquet is doing the talking, it’s doing the promoting and it’s doing the winning.

I think the reason for that is that he’s now comfortable on the Tour. He’s starting to understand what is required of him through his commitments to the media; his knows his commitments to his training; he’s worked out what is best for his travel and who travels with him; he’s worked out when he needs breaks and where he needs to stay fresh. His daily management and planning seems to have found a mix that can reward with results.

So when I look back on this win at the weekend in Tokyo, for me that was a re-opening of the commercial market gates for him. It was a moment when people started to see real opportunity for Nick Kyrgios again.

He’s got this young, sharp image. He’s got Nike and Beats – he’s playing to a younger generation right now and he’s got the ability to really influence them. That’s what the marketers like. Sponsorship is not just a nice endorsement deal anymore, it is about the promotional opportunities of – and for – the athlete.

And I think that that Japanese market could be a big one for him. He has the edginess that the fans will flock to – they will love him. He’s got a good association with Yonex, and to come out and win in Japan – that’s a huge relationship reward for both of them.

So this result, for me, could be a real turning point in the commercial value of Nick. Yes, the potential has always been there, but now he is starting to unlock it.