The king of swing is looking to cash in.
Darian King may yet get to ride the wave of his US Open success as management company, CAA (Creative Artists Agency) is preparing to seek more sponsorship for the top tennis player on the heels of that historic Grand Slam appearance.
CAA sports agent Matt Elefant explained the plan going forward after conducting an open question and answer segment in the just-concluded Barbados Cup.
“We work best with a player when his results are the best obviously, so in the short term we have to try to get the ranking up so he can be in the main draw of every slam, and then we can cash in on the opportunities as they arise,” said Elefant.
“We will try to partner him with the right companies that represent him as a person and as an athlete, but sponsorships in tennis don’t happen overnight. The way we present all of our athletes we try to grow them organically and align companies that have similar personalities.
“We’re obviously trying to help him get with some tennis specific companies. If there’s a company that makes him feel better and gets him a little more confidence boost then we’re doing our job,” he added.
A 25-year-old baseliner with a career-high ranking of 106, King has already caught the eyes of the tennis world by garnering deals with Babolat and Lotto.
And his situation only stands to get better from here considering those deals were signed long before he became the first player to represent Barbados in the main draw of a Grand Slam at August’s US Open.
It’s just part of what CAA initially envisioned when they signed the fast-rising Bajan boy to a three-year deal last summer on the heels of his successive ATP Challenger titles in Colombia and New York.
“We had a few clients who were friends with him and he had just won two ATP Challengers so he was on the cusp of cracking it. Darian is an extremely nice kid and he’s humble and we take all of those things into consideration. To be quite honest he’s got good talent so we thought he was a good fit for us,” said Elefant.
“I was telling Darian he’s bigger here in Barbados than most of the American tennis players are in the States, so I think him being from Barbados has its advantages and disadvantages.
“On the international scale he may not be as well-known so if he walks around New York he may not be as recognised. But, at the same time, it is a great opportunity to be that pioneer and become a trailblazer here which he’s become,” he added. (JM)