Roger Federer’s “Team 8″ / His New Management Co.

Written by: on 13th December 2013
Federer promotes ABN AMRO Tennis Tournament
Roger Federer's "Team 8" / His New Management Co.

epa03579183 Swiss tennis player Roger Federer (R) during a promotion event of the ABN AMRO Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands, 11 February 2013. The tournament will take place from 11 until 17 February. EPA/KOEN SUYK  |

Roger Federer may be insistent there are many more matches, extra trophies and perhaps another Grand Slam title or two left in his playing career. However the Swiss is most certainly looking at a more long term future as news comes that he is forming a new management company, Team8, with his much trusted agent Tony Godsick and some top level financial backing from the United States.

 

Recruitment for Team8 has been going on for a couple of weeks. As reported in Daily Tennis News former ATP World Tour Chief Player Officer Andre Silva resigned to join Godsick and world no.5 Juan Martin Del Potro also allied himself to the concern. Now 23rd ranked and much vaunted Grigor Dimitrov, the 22-year-old Bulgarian, has also been signed up to join the stable from January 1.

 

As the New York Times commented, that would give the new agency a strong foothold in both the present and the future of tennis and would be a symbolic move for the 23rd-ranked Dimitrov, a player who was once nicknamed Baby Fed and whose flowing, all-court game and one-handed backhand have long elicited stylistic comparisons with Federer.

 

It is reported the backing comes from hedge-fund genius Ian McKinnon, the 46 year-old Managing Director at ZBI Equities and the billionaire financier Dirk Ziff, the eldest of the three brothers who started Ziff Brothers Investments in 1992 after their father, William, sold his publishing interests.

 

Godsick, who rose through the managerial ranks of IMG during an 18 year stay with the company that came to an end when his contract expired around the time of the French Open last year, confirmed the business plan when he said: “I think small is the new big. We’re trying to be a boutique agency that will manage just a small stable of iconic athletes.”

 

He added there was no intention to rival IMG, Lagardere Unlimited, Octagon or any other larger management company. “We’re really going to try to be selective here. Some of the other groups, they look to sign as many players as they can and hope a few of them stick and make it, and they really go after the juniors. We’re not going to.”

 

However it is understood Team8’s expansion could soon see the company acquiring or creating events as well as signing up both leading names from other sports such as golf and show business entertainers.

 

Roger has a thing about the number 8. He was born on the 8th Day of the 8th month, etc.

Topics: , , , , , , , , , ,








10sBalls Top Stories

In Case You Missed It

Как Сменить Почту Комета Казино? thumbnail

Как Сменить Почту Комета Казино?

Как изменить электронную почту в Комета
No Key Biscayne, No Problem; New Site, Same Great Miami Open Tennis Event thumbnail

No Key Biscayne, No Problem; New Site, Same Great Miami Open Tennis Event

It was the end of an era at Crandon Park for the Miami Open last year. From the Lipton, to the Nasdaq 100, to the Sony Ericsson, to the Sony, to the Miami Open presented by Itau, Key Biscayne saw it all.
10SBALLS SHARES FAVORITE EPA TENNIS PHOTOS Of 2018 thumbnail

10SBALLS SHARES FAVORITE EPA TENNIS PHOTOS Of 2018

Roger Federer of Switzerland in action during his men's singles final match against Marin Cilic of Croatia at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 28 January 2018.
THE PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT FOR ANY TENNIS PLAYER & FAN thumbnail

THE PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT FOR ANY TENNIS PLAYER & FAN

Are lefties more successful than right-handed players? Which player admits to smashing 70 rackets a year during his career? All these questions, and so many more, are answered in entertaining infographics in the new book YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!
ATP MEN’S TENNIS • WILL IT MOVE FROM LONDON TO MANCHESTER OR TOKYO OR SINGAPORE? OR TURIN? thumbnail

ATP MEN’S TENNIS • WILL IT MOVE FROM LONDON TO MANCHESTER OR TOKYO OR SINGAPORE? OR TURIN?

The ATP announced a group of potential host sites for the Nitto ATP Finals starting in 2021, and it includes London, Manchester, Singapore, Tokyo, and Turin.