NIKE TO LAUNCH CARLOS ALCARAZ SIGNATURE BRAND FOLLOWING CAREER GRAND SLAM
Carlos Alcaraz’s Australian Open win drew 730,000 US viewers, sparking predictions that he will become tennis’s next billionaire.
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The closing rounds of the Australian Open really grabbed the world’s attention, and the U.S. TV numbers for the men’s final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic prove it. Even with no American players in the mix, the showdown drew 730,000 viewers on ESPN, according to Nielsen. That’s a whopping 57% jump from last year’s Jannik Sinner vs. Alexander Zverev final—despite the brutal 3:30 a.m. ET start time.
It’s the biggest American audience for an Australian Open men’s final since 2017, back when Roger Federer outlasted Rafael Nadal in a five-set classic that pulled in 1.1 million viewers.
The women’s final between Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka also ticked up, pulling 487,000 viewers—an 8% increase from 2025—even though Madison Keys, an American, beat Sabalenka that year.
Alcaraz’s win has cranked up his status as a marketing powerhouse. Brand expert Jack Kenney-Herbert from Sid Lee in London told Tennis365 that Alcaraz is now “the perfect commercial storm”—a 22-year-old Career Grand Slam winner with a digital reach the old “Big Three” never had when they started. With whispers of a signature logo coming from Nike, Kenney-Herbert thinks Alcaraz has already stepped beyond the sport into global-icon territory. His brand value is sky-high, and with his age and the money now in tennis, Kenney-Herbert says Alcaraz is on track to break earning records and become the most marketable athlete of his generation.
If Alcaraz keeps winning on the court and making smart moves off it, Kenney-Herbert says he isn’t just chasing trophies—he’s on track to join Federer as tennis’s next billionaire.
He’s already signed on with Rolex, BMW, Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton, and Evian. After this latest win, those deals are set to pay out bonuses and get even more valuable when renewal talks come up. Now Nike is reportedly planning to launch an Alcaraz signature brand, putting him in rare company with Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan—guys with their own apparel lines. And this might just be the beginning.
He looks ready to follow Federer’s path. Federer became tennis’s first billionaire, partly thanks to his move from Nike to take a stake in On, a then-small footwear company. Federer’s involvement helped turn On into a $20 billion giant, with his own share now rumoured to be worth $1 billion. Alcaraz could be next in line to make that kind of splash.
INSIDE JANNIK SINNER’S HISTORIC INDIAN WELLS VICTORY AS FIRST ITALIAN MALE CHAMPION
Jannik Sinner makes history as the first Italian man to win Indian Wells, defeating Daniil Medvedev in two tiebreaks.
Jannik Sinner crushed Daniil Medvedev’s hopes at Indian Wells Sunday night. Medvedev looked sharp all week; he even took down Carlos Alcaraz to reach the final.
But when it came to the championship match, Sinner edged him out in two tense tiebreaks, 7-6, 7-6. Medvedev’s loss stings, but let’s be real: his level this week showed he’s back to fighting for big trophies after a pretty rough 2025.
He’s set a big goal for himself, too, with all the pressure that comes along with it. After the match, Medvedev, now 30, talked about whether he’s the one who can break up Alcaraz and Sinner’s grip at the top; he even admitted he slipped up a bit in the final.
On that note, it’s wild how Alcaraz and Sinner have ruled the ATP Tour lately. Between them, they’ve grabbed the last nine Grand Slam titles and barely given anyone else a chance. Still, Medvedev made things interesting at Indian Wells by beating Alcaraz and pushing Sinner to the edge.
In his post-match press conference, Medvedev shared his thoughts on his future and the big question: Can he really challenge Sinner and Alcaraz?
He said, “Honestly, it’s a pleasure to play Sinner and Alcaraz. Last year, I didn’t even get a shot; they were out of reach because I kept losing early. I’m glad this time I played well enough to beat the others first, took down Carlos, and then got to face Jannik.
My goal? Not to obsess over them, but to work on my own game, beat everyone else, and then, chances are, in Miami, I'm going to run into one of them in the semis or the final if I play out of my mind.”
He continued, “It’s tough to say if I’m the guy to challenge them, honestly. I’ve lost a bunch against them, and again today with Jannik. But I know I can play top-level tennis. Whoever I meet next, whether it’s Carlos, Jannik, or someone else, I’ll just try to play my best tennis. I proved I can do it again here, in Dubai, and in Brisbane.
On any given day, anyone can challenge them; look at Jakub beating Jannik in Doha or me beating Carlos here. So it’s not just me, not just Novak, not just Sascha. But it’s hard, and that’s why by the end of the season, those guys have sixty wins and only five or six losses, half of those losses coming against each other. It’s a tough mountain to climb, but you just keep trying.”
Now, Sinner, Alcaraz, and Medvedev head to the Miami Masters, which kicks off Tuesday. The last time around, Jakub Mensik won there; it’s the second Masters 1000 event of 2026.
Sinner made history on Sunday. No Italian man had ever won Indian Wells until he pulled it off. He now owns 25 ATP titles and is the youngest player to win all six ATP hard-court Masters events. Back in 1974, John Newcombe was the tournament’s first champ, beating Arthur Ashe in the final. Since then, Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer have all lifted the trophy. Federer and Djokovic sit at the top with five Indian Wells titles each.
ARYNA SABALENKA APPLAUDS ELINA SVITOLINA’S POST-PREGNANCY COMEBACK DURING INDIAN WELLS
Aryna Sabalenka reaches the Indian Wells final to face Elena Rybakina, while praising Elina Svitolina’s inspiring return.
Aryna Sabalenka had just made it to the Indian Wells final, set to face Elena Rybakina, though at the time of her press conference, the match-up wasn’t official yet.
Reporters asked her thoughts on both possible opponents, and she didn’t hold back on her respect for each. Sabalenka had a lot of praise for both semi-finalists, but especially for Elina Svitolina.
Pretty much everyone expected Rybakina to make it through, and that’s what happened. Still, Sabalenka made it clear how much she admired Svitolina, even though Svitolina didn’t make the final.
Here’s what Sabalenka had to say about Svitolina’s comeback:
“She’s an incredible player. Honestly, seeing the level she’s brought to the court after her pregnancy is so inspiring; it's really cool to watch. Every match we’ve played has been a tough battle. Always a show, always top level. If it had been Elina, I would’ve been just as excited. I know with her it’s always a real fight, always entertaining. I’m super excited either way.”
Sabalenka beat Svitolina at this year’s Australian Open but then lost the final to Rybakina. There’s no question Sabalenka wants to set the record straight against Rybakina at Indian Wells.
Getting to this final hasn’t exactly been a breeze, either. While her showdown with Rybakina is probably her toughest challenge yet, Sabalenka already battled through a stacked field just to get here without dropping a single set, no less.
She started fast, rolling past Himeno Sakatsume and Jaqueline Cristian. Then came Naomi Osaka in the Round of 16, a match many thought would be tight, but Sabalenka kept control and won solidly.
Victoria Mboko gave her a fight in their quarter-final’s opening set, but Sabalenka pulled away again in the tiebreak. She kept that momentum going against Linda Nosková in the semi-final, not giving her an inch.
Now, it’s down to Rybakina to try and stop Sabalenka, who’s looked almost unstoppable in the California desert so far.
