Sometimes its not about the money, to wit: After losing to Serena Williams in the U.S. Open final this month, Caroline Wozniacki followed the timeworn ritual of the runner-up. She accepted her trophy, talked to the press, gathered her belongings and zoomed off in a courtesy car bound for her apartment in Manhattan. About 30 minutes later, however, she arrived back at the tennis center, a look of mild panic on her face. I forgot to pick up my prize money, she said. After rejuvenating her career with a 43-16 record this season, the Danish-born Wozniacki, who is just 24, has accomplished something arguably more difficult than winning a Grand Slam tournament: She has become the tennis worlds chief object of fascination. Some of Wozniackis appeal is obvious. Shes an attractive, impeccably fit 5-foot-10 blonde who speaks fluently or passably in eight languages and has more than 700,000 Twitter followers. She also has a knack for getting people talking—whether its her very public romance, engagement and recent breakup with Rory McIlroy, the worlds No. 1 golfer, or her surprise decision to run the New York City Marathon this November. Even her brief appearance at New Yorks Fashion Week after the U.S. Open became a minor sensation after Vogue editor Anna Wintour urged the young tennis pro to fix her hair. If Anna Wintour tells you that you need a haircut, you get a haircut, she said. But in a series of interviews in New York at the U.S. Open and in the days afterward, and in conversations with her friends, family and business advisers, one element of Wozniackis character stood out. If Wozniacki wants to follow the path of other top tennis players who have gone on to become carefully packaged, business-savvy global marketing icons, she has a long way to go. Take, for instance, her relationship with money. It isnt just that Wozniacki forgot to claim her $1.45 million runner-up check after the Open final, or that her agent and manager, John Tobias, said she didnt know—and didnt ask—about the extra $500,000 in sponsorship bonuses her Open performance triggered for her. She is so blasé about her finances that she doesnt monitor her bank accounts and isnt sure how much she pays her father Piotr, who is her coach and closest confidant. My dad would work for free, she said. He can have whatever he wants. I have enough to eat, buy nice shoes, she said, sitting in her Manhattan apartment the morning after the final. For me, its about the tennis and the trophies. Im not motivated by money. Another unusual trait of Wozniackis: She is known for being impulsive and unselfconscious, and for being determined to keep it that way. At a tournament, she once pranked fellow pro Maria Sharapova during a TV interview by trying to pop a balloon behind her. On another occasion she stuffed her own shirt and skirt with towels to imitate the physique of Serena Williams, her close friend. She interrupted a 2011 Wimbledon news conference of Novak Djokovics to grill him on his losing streak of one. Last fall, she tweeted a picture of McIlroy sleeping with his mouth wide open and glasses still on. After losing to Williams in the Open final on Sept. 7, she took the microphone and joked to the crowd that Williams owed her drinks after the match. Wozniacki earns nearly $10 million a year in endorsement deals with Adidas, Babolat, Rolex and others. While thats more than any other player her age, her portfolio doesnt yet stack up to those of Sharapova or recently retired Chinese star Li Na, who experts say earn at least $18 million a year ( Roger Federers endorsements are estimated at more than $50 million). When presented with endorsement offers, Tobias, Wozniackis agent, said she tends to talk less about the terms than how she feels about the company. Most clients go straight to the last page for the bottom line, he said. Caroline never does. I never think about my brand, she said. I want to do well for myself and my sponsors…but I feel no pressure, because I dont play for the money. Wozniacki said her most pressing concern is staying near the top of womens tennis and winning a Grand Slam event, which she has yet to do. But at some point she may have to decide whether to chase the pot of gold. Caroline is suddenly one of the most compelling figures in tennis, but the question is whether she will make the time and personal commitment turning this moment into building a global brand, said Pam Shriver, a former tennis pro turned TV commentator. To her agents and her coach-father, this attitude is refreshing in some ways—and a bit frustrating in others. On the morning of Sept. 8, just hours after the Open final, Wozniacki sat in the living room of her soaring, modern $7 million Manhattan apartment overlooking Union Square, Adidas tennis shoes and pricey Christian Louboutin heels scattered about. Her agents, Tobias and Drew LeMesurier of Lagardère Unlimited, had come to give her the full picture of the financial opportunities coming in. Sitting opposite them at her dining-room table, she summoned her tiny puffball Pomeranian dog, Bruno, to her lap. Your play this summer kick-started your brand to even higher levels, Tobias said. We can capitalize on the buzz youre giving us, added LeMesurier. Ive definitely played better lately, she allowed. During the conversation, Wozniackis Polish-born father, Piotr, said that his daughter has a head for business—and the social and language skills to pull it off. He mentioned that when she was little, she was so adept with languages that he hired her as his translator. Im not looking for sponsors who just want her to be a face or mascot for a product, he said. She has the connections and experience to be a long-term partner with a global company when her playing days are over. He touched his heart: Caroline is not the next top model. She understands business, shes loyal and disciplined, and works hard. He described a desire to push her beyond traditional athlete sponsorships into new ventures—like, for instance, a partnership with an international shipping company. Why not Maersk? he said, referring to the Maersk Group, which is based in Denmark. As others talked, Wozniacki didnt address any specifics. While absent-mindedly rubbing her dogs belly, she stole glances at a stack of designer dresses hung over a chair nearby, gifts from designers for her to wear during Fashion Week. Then, with no ceremony, she put down her dog and jumped up. It was early afternoon and shed been out the night before until 3 a.m. celebrating with Williams and Joe Jonas of the Jonas brothers. Breakfast had consisted of a sports drink, which, along with protein bars, is all she keeps in the kitchen. I want to go eat; Im hungry, she said. Wozniacki excelled at tennis from the time she began playing. At 10, she called the German-based company Adidas herself (using her perfect English) and landed her first clothing deal. I could order anything I wanted—like Christmas, she recalled. By 13, she was winning junior tournaments around the world and learning more languages. She landed her first international sponsorship with Nike. In 2006, after winning the Wimbledon girls singles title, she told her new agent, Tobias, of her one business priority: returning to Adidas. Not for the potential money, but because the company was the first to believe in her. It was closest to my heart, she said. In 2009, she began endorsing a line of Adidas tennis apparel designed by Stella McCartney. In 2011, in the middle of a stint of 67 weeks as the worlds No. 1 player, Wozniacki fell in love with another athlete in his early 20s, the Northern Ireland-born McIlrory. For the next three years she traveled to his tournaments—even caddying for him during this years Masters par-3 contest. They got engaged last New Years Eve. Caroline Wozniacki runs in New Yorks Central Park. Andrew Lamberson for The Wall Street Journal During their time together, her tennis declined. She sank to No. 10 and failed to hit performance bonuses in her contracts, costing her as much as $4 million a year. Renewals became more difficult, Tobias said. This spring, McIlrory called off the engagement in a phone call—something Wozniacki said came as a surprise. Invitations for a November wedding had gone out, she said, and her Vera Wang bridal gown had been made to order. The golfer the following day held a news conference to call the split mutual and amicable. A stunned and heartsick Wozniacki lost in the first round in the French Open. Williams, who had been set to host the bachelorette party and be a bridesmaid, comforted her in Miami, with photos of the pair hanging out on the beach and at a Miami Heat game. Wozniacki hasnt spoken negatively about her ex-fiancé, aside from a remark on social media that it felt good to wear heels again. (The golfer is slightly shorter.) After the breakup, Wozniacki threw herself into tennis. She won a tournament in Istanbul (the same day McIlroy won the British Open). She committed to running the New York marathon because November opened up for me, she said. At the Open, she proved to be a favorite with the crowd, and with famous admirers. After one match she received flowers from designer Michael Kors, a favorite of both Wozniacki and her mother Anna. No way—Michael Kors! she screamed. Tobias promptly sent the designer two seats in the familys box for the quarterfinal. Kors responded with an invitation to his show at Fashion Week and some designs to wear. This may or may not have financial implications, but its good publicity, Tobias told his client. Im just excited to meet him! she replied. Two days after the final, Wozniacki went to Central Park for a training run. She hadnt finished lacing her shoes before fans approached, taking selfies and asking for autographs. They followed until she began to run. Over eggs at an outdoor cafe nearby, her father checked in with Tobias, who arranged an off-season tennis exhibition for Wozniacki in Asia for $450,000. When the subject of the marathon came up, he said it was very, very bad for her tennis. But its coming from her heart. That afternoon, after the run, Wozniacki wolfed down chicken fajitas prepared by her mother while a stylist and makeup artist prepared her to attend Williamss fashion show for a new clothing line she designs for HSN Inc. When the stylist showed up earlier with designer dresses in sizes 0 and 2, Wozniacki sent him back for a size 6. I actually eat. And I have thighs. I play tennis! We have to hurry. Serena will kill me if Im late, Wozniacki told them as they worked. After noticing her tennis tan, a makeup artist rubbed tanning cream on her feet and ankles. At the show she sat next to Wintour who, as the models paraded by, told her she would arrange a haircut for her with Serge Normant, whose clients include Julia Roberts. A possible Vogue shoot was also mentioned. The next day, after getting the haircut, Wozniacki posted a selfie on Instagram. Going forward, the question seems to be whether money, at least the kind that comes from being a marketing icon, is something Wozniacki is willing to work for. Back at her New York apartment the morning after the final, as she cradled Bruno, she allowed herself to dream of life after tennis: a family with lots of children and a possible fashion line of her own. I could stop today and be fine, she said. In an instant, her agents brought her back to the present moment: potential deals before she left for Tokyo and her next tournament. (In Japan, she reached the final and is up to No. 7 in the world rankings.) After a couple minutes of silence, Wozniacki piped up: I want a chocolate deal! She told the group how Federer had put a giant chocolate bar in her U.S. Open locker, compliments of Lindt, the Swiss chocolatier he endorses—and how hard it was to wait until after the tournament to eat it. I will do a chocolate deal for product only, she added, smiling. No need for money.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 17:56:46 +0000
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