Mastercard, one of the world’s most active sponsors of major sporting events, announced it is partnering with two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka. It is the first time Mastercard has added a current number one tennis player to its roster of global ambassadors.
Osaka said, “I am happy and excited about my new partnership with Mastercard and look out for cool things in the future.”
She is the first professional tennis player to wear the Mastercard logo – on her visor – in competition.
The addition of Osaka speaks to the opportunity Mastercard sees in Asia as a region overall, including Japan. Mastercard has steadily built out its sponsorship strategy to ensure that both its ambassadors and partners reflect its global footprint and embody evolving consumer passions and preferences of its growing cardholder base.
“Naomi is the next generation of tennis greatness and we’re thrilled to support her quest to be the best tennis player in the world,” said Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer, Mastercard.
“As Asia’s first world number one player, she is an inspiration not just to her fans in Japan and the region, but to young girls and boys the world over. We see our relationship as an opportunity for us to enable her – as a consumer and our brand ambassador – to experience all the security and convenience of our payment products and services.”
Her presence as a Mastercard brand ambassador also reinforces the company’s focus on championing women in sports, investing in their professional careers and shining the light on gender inclusion.
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