(FILA Luxembourg S.à r.l.) - FILA announced today that it has signed a sponsorship agreement with 18-year-old American and rising ATP Tour player Brandon Nakashima. Nakashima, who is fresh off a championship run at the Oracle Pro Series-Rancho Santa Fe and a quarterfinals appearance at his first ATP Tour-level event in Delray Beach, will join the company’s roster of endorsed WTA and ATP World Tour players who wear the FILA® brand on court.
The San Diego native has experienced an impressive rise in the ATP Tour rankings, jumping more than 250 spots in the last calendar year to his current ranking of No. 255. He has already captured a handful of quality wins in his young career, defeating the likes of Taro Daniel (No. 105), James Duckworth (No. 83), Jiri Vesely (No. 74) and fellow American Taylor Fritz (No. 36).
“I have always admired FILA’s iconic presence in the game of tennis, from classic on-court looks to the legendary WTA and ATP Tour players who have been a part of the company’s roster,” said Nakashima. “FILA is an ideal fit for me and it’s an honor to join the team.”
Before turning pro at the end of 2019, Nakashima spent one year at the University of Virginia, posting a 17-5 singles record en route to earning ACC Freshman of the Year honors. The former Cavalier was also the lone Freshman to make the All-ACC First Team during the 2018-2019 collegiate season. A successful junior career saw Nakashima reach an ITF Junior Ranking of No. 4 in the world and the semifinals of the 2019 US Open Junior Boys’ Singles Championship.
“We are proud to welcome Brandon to the FILA family,” said Gene Yoon, Global Chairman at FILA. “He represents the future of the sport and will serve as a wonderful ambassador for the brand. Given his hard work ethic and success at a young age, we are confident that Brandon will be a formidable player on tour for years to come.”
FILA has a long and distinguished history in the world of tennis that includes endorsements of ATP Tour and WTA athletes, tennis tournaments and organizations. FILA is a sponsor of the BNP Paribas Open, the Tennis Hall of Fame Open, the Rogers Cup and Coupe Rogers, the Western & Southern Open, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, the Argentina Open, the Cordoba Open, the Rio Open, the Brasil Open, the Rakuten Japan Open and the Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship. In addition to event partnerships, FILA is an official supplier to Tennis Canada, the Argentine Tennis Association (AAT) Junior Tennis Champions Center, Van der Meer Tennis, John Newcombe Tennis Ranch, and the Kim Clijsters Academy in Belgium.
The FILA® brand was established over a century ago by the FILA brother of Biella, Italy. FILA® is now a leading sport and lifestyle brand that is distributed worldwide. FILA has achieved world-class recognition in tennis by marketing high design and style content products that are endorsed by professional athletes from around the world.
Visit www.FILA.com to see the full collection of tennis apparel and footwear.