Monaco resident Novak Djokovic will take over this week as the new face of Lacoste, the French sports label. The world Number Two will start his stint at the French Open, which started on Sunday, May 28, where he will be defending the title he won last year eight-time major winner Andre Agassi “by his side” as coach.
Thierry Guibert, Lacoste’s CEO, welcomed the company’s new ambassador at a presentation held at the Monte-Carlo Country Club. Mr Guibert presented the player with a crystal Baccarat statue of a crocodile, Lacoste’s logo.
The sponsorship agreement covers all of Djokovic’s sports clothing, except for his shoes, which will remain with Adidas as the official footwear provider.
The Serb’s five-year contract with Japanese company Uniqlo expired after the Italian Open final, which ended in straight sets defeat for Djokovic against 20-year-old Alexander Zverev. The Lacoste sponsorship will also last for five years.
Djokovic said values are important to him. “We face a lot of adversities and challenges … and a lot of egos.”
The 30-year-old added, “Today’s world represents a lot of challenges but it’s a beautiful world. I think at the end of the day we are all human and we all make mistakes and we learn from them. We try to grow from them, to evolve and be better.”