Winning Grand Slam titles can open doors, but a tennis champion’s business career often depends on what happens after the match: building a brand, choosing good partners and learning to manage risk. Some players invest in young companies, while others create businesses in fields such as fashion, media, food and sports.
The clearest examples show that a famous name is only a starting point. Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Naomi Osaka and Maria Sharapova have taken different routes from the tour into business. Their choices offer a useful look at how elite athletes can turn experience and public attention into work that lasts beyond their playing days.
How tennis champions build business careers
A player’s business work can take several forms. An endorsement pays an athlete to promote a product; an investment gives them a financial stake in a company; and founding a business means taking on more direct responsibility for its direction. The lines can overlap, but they are not the same. A long-running partnership may bring income and influence without giving a player control of the company.
Champions also bring useful skills from tennis. They understand preparation, pressure and the value of small improvements. But running a company calls for different strengths, including hiring, marketing and financial planning. Many players work with experienced executives or investors rather than trying to handle every part of the business themselves.
Notable tennis champions and their business paths
| Champion | Business example | What makes the approach notable |
|---|---|---|
| Roger Federer | Investment and partnership with On; co-founded Team8 | Work in both consumer products and sports management |
| Serena Williams | Serena Ventures; WYN Beauty | Combines startup investing with a consumer brand |
| Venus Williams | EleVen; V Starr | Built businesses in athletic wear and interior design |
| Naomi Osaka | Hana Kuma; Evolve | Expanded into media production and athlete representation |
| Maria Sharapova | Sugarpova; startup investments | Created a consumer product brand and invested in other companies |
Roger Federer: investing and sports management
Federer’s business career extends beyond traditional sponsorships. He became an investor and brand partner in Swiss sportswear company On in 2019. On later went public in 2021, giving the partnership a business dimension beyond wearing its shoes. The company develops and sells its own products, while Federer’s connection brings both visibility and an athlete’s perspective.
Federer also co-founded Team8, a sports management company, with his agent Tony Godsick. Its work has included representing athletes and helping develop the Laver Cup, the team event that Federer helped launch. These ventures show two different sides of a champion’s business life: investing in an existing company and helping build projects around sport.
Serena Williams: venture capital and beauty
Serena Williams founded Serena Ventures to invest in businesses, including companies led by women and people from underrepresented communities. In 2022, the firm announced a $111 million fund. Venture investing is a different kind of play from launching a single product: a fund can back multiple companies, but many startups are risky and take years to prove their value.
Williams has also moved into consumer products. WYN Beauty launched in 2024, with makeup designed for a range of skin tones and intended to suit an active lifestyle. The brand fits an important business lesson: a personal connection to a product can help shape its purpose, but quality, distribution and repeat customers still determine whether it can grow.
Venus Williams: building in fields beyond tennis
Venus Williams has developed businesses in two distinct areas. She founded the athletic apparel brand EleVen and the interior design firm V Starr, which works on residential and commercial projects. The design company is especially notable because it is not simply tennis merchandise with a famous player’s name attached. It draws on a separate professional interest and serves clients outside the sport.
Her path is a reminder that an athlete’s business identity does not have to match their competition image. A champion can use the discipline and visibility built through tennis while developing expertise in a completely different field.
Naomi Osaka: media, representation and skincare
Osaka has explored several business areas. She and her longtime agent Stuart Duguid launched Evolve, a sports agency focused on representing athletes. In 2022, she also announced Hana Kuma, a media company producing stories for film, television and other formats. Both projects place her closer to the decisions behind how athletes and stories are represented.
Osaka also launched Kinlò, a skincare brand developed with a focus on people with melanated skin, including sun protection products. As with any consumer brand, its long-term prospects depend on more than a founder’s profile: product performance, customer trust and access to retail all matter.
Maria Sharapova: Sugarpova and investing
Sharapova launched the candy brand Sugarpova in 2012. Creating a product company meant stepping into decisions about packaging, retail and the customer experience, rather than relying only on paid endorsements. She has also invested in businesses in areas such as wellness and consumer products. Those investments show how an athlete can move from promoting products to taking ownership stakes, though the details and outcomes of private investments are not always public.
What makes a sports business last?
The most durable athlete-led businesses tend to have a clear reason to exist beyond the founder’s fame. Federer’s work with On connects his athletic experience to a company that designs sports products. Williams’s venture fund is built around selecting businesses, while Venus Williams’s design firm serves clients in a separate industry. Each model asks for different skills and carries different risks.
- Build around real knowledge. A player may understand sports equipment, training or the needs of athletes, but should rely on specialists where their experience is limited.
- Choose partners carefully. Product makers, agents, investors and operators can fill gaps in a champion’s business knowledge.
- Keep a long view. A launch can attract attention quickly; earning repeat customers and building a strong company usually takes longer.
- Separate visibility from ownership. A sponsorship deal can be valuable, but it does not automatically mean the athlete owns part of the brand.
There is no single blueprint. Some champions prefer investments, which spread risk across companies but offer less day-to-day control. Others start a brand, which can provide more influence but also brings greater responsibility. Business results are not guaranteed, even for athletes with large audiences and impressive résumés.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which tennis champions have built businesses outside the sport?
Examples include Venus Williams in interior design and apparel, Serena Williams in startup investing and beauty, and Maria Sharapova in confectionery and investment. Roger Federer and Naomi Osaka have also worked in sports management and media.
Is an endorsement the same as owning a business?
No. An endorsement is usually a paid agreement to promote a product. Ownership means holding a stake in a company, while founding one involves a more direct role in creating and developing it. A deal may include more than one of these arrangements, so the details matter.
Why do tennis players invest in startups?
Investing lets athletes support businesses they believe in and potentially share in their growth. It can also help them learn about industries beyond tennis. Startup investing carries a real risk of loss, and a well-known investor’s involvement does not guarantee success.
Can a player start a business while still competing?
Yes, but it takes time and a reliable team. Many players work with managers, agents and business operators so they can focus on training and competition while remaining involved in key decisions.
Final Thoughts
Tennis champions’ business careers are as varied as their playing styles. Some invest, some launch brands, and others create companies in media, design or sports management. The strongest examples combine a player’s experience with a clear business purpose and capable partners. A Grand Slam title can attract attention, but lasting success depends on what a company offers its customers after the spotlight moves on.
