Canadian tennis player Bianca Andreescu speaks with the news media about her win at the U.S. Open, after arriving in Toronto, on Sept. 11, 2019.CARLOS OSORIO/Reuters
Bianca Andreescu expects to sign at least two major endorsement deals in the next few months, according to her agent, Jonathan Dasnières de Veigy, at sports-management agency Octagon Sports and Entertainment Network. Andreescu is currently sponsored by Nike, BMW, Head and vegan restaurant chain Copper Branch, which signed her for approximately $50,000 annually last year.
Andreescu is “authentic, fresh, very strong and fearless,” Dasnières de Veigy said, when asked to define the athlete’s personal brand. “At the same time, she is typically millennial and any teenager can see herself in Bianca.”
Andreescu began working with Octagon three years ago and Dasnières de Veigy said that over the past year, the agency introduced the tennis player to marketing executives at a number of global consumer-product companies, anticipating the day when she started winning tournaments. “Honestly, we didn’t think that day would come so soon, but now she’s arrived, we’re in a position where we don’t need to rush,” Dasnières de Veigy said.
“We’re turning down a lot of opportunities and offers. We want to be careful and extremely selectively, to do the right partnerships.
“First and foremost, we want to ensure that Bianca is at the peak of her game as a professional athlete,” said Dasnières de Veigy, a former professional tennis player. “Our job is to keep her life as simple as possible, so she can focus on tennis.”
A relaxed Bianca Andreescu spoke to the media in Toronto Wednesday morning, and reflected on the fame that has arrived on the heels of her U.S. Open win. She also shared a text message she’d received from rap star Drake honouring her success.
Octagon has eight employees working for Andreescu, including public-relations professionals and financial advisers. The tennis player has another seven staff taking care of her athletic needs, including trainers, a sports psychologist and practice partners.
Octagon, which has 50 offices in 22 countries, represents 70 tennis professionals. The agency also works with former NBA most valuable player Stephen Curry and swimmer Michael Phelps.