Wimbledon May Be on, But the Real Game is Off the Court

Wimbledon is back – complete with Centre Court dramatics, overpriced strawberries, and enough Pimm’s to sink a yacht. The sporting world once again marvels at the precision and physicality of tennis at its peak.

But far from the courts of SW19, a quieter transformation is underway: elite players are turning themselves into corporations. Not metaphorically. Literally.

The modern tennis star isn’t just swinging racquets – they’re launching venture capital funds, founding media studios, and poaching clients from IMG. What we’re witnessing is the rise of the athlete-entrepreneur – and tennis, more than any other sport, is the breeding ground.

Naomi Osaka: Serve, Smash, Start-up

Naomi Osaka has four Grand Slams, a calm media presence, and – rather impressively – a rapidly growing business portfolio.

After taking time away from the sport to start a family, she’s now back on court and back to winning ways – having secured a first-round victory at Wimbledon on Monday. But even during her break, Osaka stayed firmly in the spotlight, launching two ambitious ventures:

• Hana Kuma – a media company that makes the kind of smart, culturally rich content you’d actually want to watch. It’s co-founded with LeBron James’ firm, so the ambitions are global.
• Evolve – her own athlete management agency. Less “book your next photoshoot” and more “let’s rethink your entire career.” It’s already signed big names like Aryna Sabalenka, the current world number one.

Osaka’s not selling protein shakes. She’s reshaping how athletes think about identity, ownership, and influence. Less glossy endorsement deals, more strategy and substance.

Why Tennis Breeds Entrepreneurs

It turns out tennis is the perfect training ground for running a business:

• You’re on your own. No team, no club, no manager smoothing things over. Just you and your decisions.
• The career is short.  Even the longest careers come with a shelf life – and the smartest players are planning for life beyond the baseline.
• It’s global. Top players travel the world, build international followings, and learn how to adapt fast.
• They’re disciplined. You try playing five-hour matches and still having the energy to negotiate a media rights deal.

From Players to Portfolio Builders

Naomi’s not the only one swapping forehands for boardrooms:

• Roger Federer invested early in Swiss trainer brand On Running. The company went public, and his stake is now worth hundreds of millions. All that, and he still never breaks a sweat.
• Serena Williams runs Serena Ventures, which backs start-ups founded by women and people of colour. Her investments include everything from fitness tech to online learning platforms. It’s less about the headlines, more about lasting impact.
• Venus Williams juggles her fashion brand EleVen with her design firm V Starr. She also holds two degrees, just in case anyone thought she wasn’t serious.
• Andy Murray has backed dozens of UK start-ups through Seedrs and launched 77 Sports Management – named, of course, after his 2013 Wimbledon win that ended Britain’s 77-year drought.
• Maria Sharapova created Sugarpova, a premium sweets brand, and turned it into a global business. It’s bubblegum with a business plan.

Beyond the Endorsement Era

What’s changed? These players aren’t just lending their name to someone else’s product – they’re building their own.

They want:

• Control over their image – no more awkward adverts for energy drinks.
• Equity, not appearance fees – actual ownership in the things they back.
• Long-term relevance – because there’s life after the last match point.

It’s not about being a brand. It’s about owning one.

The Last Word

As Centre Court drama unfolds, remember this: today’s tennis stars are serving more than aces. They’re structuring deals, launching companies, and rewriting the playbook on what it means to “retire.”

In the new world of sport, the most important stat isn’t your win record – it’s your equity position.

The trophies are temporary. Building something that lasts? That’s the real win.