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It's not just a sign that Nike and Sinner are moving on from his "carrot" era—it also hints to an exciting shift happening within the brand's big-name roster.

ByStephanie Livaudais

Published Nov 07, 2024

Nike is cooking up something big for world No. 1 Jannik Sinner during his homecoming to Nitto ATP Finals—and it may just hint at a major shift for the brand’s presence in tennis.

The first player to qualify and the first to arrive in Turin, the 23-year-old received a rock star welcome earlier this week as he was greeted by singing fans gathered outside his hotel with bright orange signs and handmade banners.

Since his debut on tour, Sinner fans have naturally come to associate the Italian with his curly red hair and love for snacking on carrots. That iconography has even inspired viral sensations like the “Carota Boys,” fans who regularly travel to tournaments wearing outfits inspired by his favorite snack.

Now it seems Nike wants Sinner fans to reconnect with the symbol that the Italian actually identifies with: the Fox.

His personal fox-shaped personal logo has been spotted on the practice courts this week in Turin, with Sinner rocking a white Nike cap adorned with the insignia. He was also seen showing off personalized gear, including court shoes with “Jannik” emblazoned on the back heel. Sinner teased the new apparel and gear on social media with a video set to Outkast’s “So Fresh, So Clean.”

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A post shared by Jannik Sinner (@janniksin)

Back in 2022, Nike and Sinner unveiled an intricate logo shaped like a fox that was packed with hidden personal references: His initials “J. S.” are hidden in the bottom left corner, while the lines and angles symbolize his two passions, tennis and skiing.

“The logo is a fox, and this is its nose,” Sinner shared in a post breaking down the new logo. “Fox was my nickname at school… The ears of the fox represent the mountains, where I come from, and where I spent my days skiing as a child.”

The logo didn’t get much use after its introduction, with Sinner having just one ATP 250 title to his name at the time. By the time he began to dominate the tennis scene in 2024, the “carrot” craze had taken over among his diehard supporters.

Sinner, who reportedly renewed his contract with Nike in 2022, unveiled his intricate personal Fox logo on social media that same year.

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But slowly, the orange tide seems to be shifting. Eagle-eyed fans noticed Nike not-so-subtly bringing back the fox imagery at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where Sinner lifted his third ATP Masters 1000 trophy of the year wearing a t-shirt that featured a red fox wearing an Azzurri-blue tennis cap.

The return of the Fox logo isn’t just a sign that both Nike and Sinner want to move on from the carrot era—it also seems to mark an exciting shift happening within the brand’s roster of big names.

With Rafael Nadal’s impending retirement and Naomi Osaka only just returning from maternity leave—and with the likes of Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams gone from the game, along with Roger Federer’s high-profile departure from the brand—Nike has been lacking in big-name global ambassadors to stand out from its massive rank and file roster in recent years.

Now, the sportswear giant is finally tapping the sport’s highly marketable younger generation—and their ultra-engaged fanbases—to raise its profile again in tennis.

A reference to his childhood nickname, Sinner recently wore a Nike T-shirt with a fox in Shanghai and rocked his personal logo in Turin.

It was previously reported that four-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz renewed his contract with Nike for an eye-watering figure this summer, with the deal also including the development of a custom logo.

And as Sinner brings back his Fox logo, WTA world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has dusted off her own “Tiger” brand this year. Big cats have popped up everywhere from her Cartier Panthere jewelry, to her new tiger-branded tennis shoes, to the black Nike warm-up cape jacket she wore at the WTA Finals featuring a tiger on the back. In an exclusive interview with Tennis.com, the 26-year-old even threw her hat into the ring in wanting to collaborate with her sponsor on a collection.

With Nike cooking up personalized apparel for Sinner and Sabalenka, and with Alcaraz seemingly also locked in, tennis fans will be in for a treat from the top of the Swoosh’s roster once their new collections start to drop.

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