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Carlos Alcaraz's coach Samuel Lopez at the US Open
Tennis players at the US Open have strict rules governing how many advertisements they can turn themselves into while standing on court. Their coaches, conveniently positioned in a box that television cameras show approximately every 45 seconds, apparently have a much longer leash.
Brands have increasingly figured out the difference, with Carvana logos appearing across the teams of Madison Keys, Iva Jovic and Ben Shelton during this year’s tournament. Front Office Sports documented how player boxes have quietly become some of the most valuable unsold billboard space in tennis.
Tennis Put Logo Limits On The Player And Forgot About The Coach
The Grand Slam rulebook gets extremely specific about what players can wear.
Players are generally limited to two commercial identifications on their clothing beyond approved manufacturer branding, with restrictions covering everything from logo size to where those advertisements can appear. Violations can even produce fines reaching six figures under the Grand Slam rules.
Coaches do not face that same player-apparel framework, and coaches at the US Open happen to spend every match sitting inside one of the broadcast’s favorite reaction-shot locations.
Madison Keys wins a huge point? Cut to husband and coach Bjorn Fratangelo celebrating while wearing Carvana.
Ben Shelton does something ridiculous? There is a pretty decent chance the broadcast finds his box and, consequently, another Carvana logo.
Iva Jovic’s team has worn Carvana shirts and caps. Elina Svitolina’s box has featured Ukrainian software company MacPaw. Aryna Sabalenka’s coaches have worn hats promoting health-supplement company IM8.
It is basically NASCAR sponsorship without requiring anyone to drive 190 mph.
The Player Box Might Be Better Advertising Anyway
There is also a pretty strong argument that coaches make excellent billboards.
Tennis broadcasts constantly cut to player boxes after break points, meltdowns, match points, and basically any moment where producers want a human reaction. Unlike a courtside advertisement sitting in the background, the coach frequently gets an isolated close-up.
The better the match, the better the exposure.
Sabalenka’s performance coach, Jason Stacy, has openly acknowledged that reality, noting that his constant presence in player boxes and media has made coaches increasingly interesting to potential commercial partners.
It also creates another revenue opportunity in a sport where everyone below the very top of the pyramid deals with significant travel expenses. Coaches pay for flights, hotels, and weeks on the road while depending heavily on their player’s success for income, so a hat sponsorship is considerably more meaningful than free merchandise.
Brands have apparently reached the obvious conclusion: Why fight for one of the limited logos available on the athlete when you can put your company across the chest of the person ESPN plans to show every time the athlete screams at them?