Croat tennis player to compete in Three Stripes as of 2007
adidas and Croat tennis player Mario Ancic, ranked 9th in the current INDESIT ATP Ranking, have entered into a long-term agreement effective immediately. The 22-year-old will be one of adidas’ top ten ranked male tennis players and a key ambassador for the new adidas Classic Polo apparel range while competing in the lightweight adidas Feather shoe.
”I’m looking forward to working with adidas for many years to come. The experience and expertise of one of the world’s leading sports brands will also help me with getting my game to the next level. I am just really excited about this new partnership and this step in my career,” said Mario Ancic.
Mario had his debut on the ATP Tour in Miami in 2002. He became the first teenager since Björn Borg to win his Wimbledon debut on the famed Center Court when he caused a major upset by defeating then No. 9 Roger Federer. At 18 years and 8 months, Mario was the youngest player to finish the 2002 season in the ATP Top 100. So far, Mario has reached one Grand Slam Semifinal (Wimbledon 2004) and claimed three ATP singles titles (‘s-Hertogenbosch 2005/2006; St. Petersburg 2006) as well as four ATP doubles titles (Indianapolis 2003, Munich 2005; Beijing and Mumbai in 2006). He also helped his country to win its first ever Davis Cup title in 2005 and its first ARAG ATP World Team Championship title in 2006.
“Mario is a crucial addition to the adidas family,” said Jim Latham, Head of Global Sports Marketing Tennis and Individual Sports at adidas. “Together with Marcos Baghdatis, Mario will lead our next generation of players like Novak Djokovic and Stanislav Wawrinka. We are confident that Mario has his best years still ahead of him with his great all-court game.”
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It can be said that no other brand has been so closely associated with so many athletes in so many sports over so many years as adidas since Adi Dassler produced his first ‘sports’ shoes in 1920. In tennis, top athletes such as the world’s number one Justine Henin-Hardenne, Martina Hingis, Ana Ivanovic, Marat Safin, Fernando Gonzalez, Marcos Baghdatis, Bob and Mike Bryan as well as adidas ambassadors Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, Stan Smith and Ilie Nastase wear state-of-the-art adidas tennis products.
Biography of Mario Ancic
Nationality: Croat
Residence: Monte Carlo, Monaco
Date of Birth: March 30, 1984
Birthplace: Split, Croatia
Height: 6'5'' (1.95 m)
Plays: Right-handed; two handed backhand
Coach: Frederik Rosengren
Current ATP Ranking Singles: 9
Career High ATP Ranking: 7
Career Singles Titles: 3
Career Doubles Titles: 4
For more information please contact:
Dorothee Kurz
Global Public Relations
Mobile: +49.(0)160.884.4043
dorothee.kurz@adidas.de
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