08 July,2014 08:29 AM IST | | Agencies
Canada's sports marketing experts feel Eugenie Bouchard's loss in Wimbledon final may have cost her millions in sponsorship money
Eugenie Bouchard
Toronto: There is some more bad news for Wimbledon runner-up Eugenie Bouchard. According to some sports marketing experts back home in Canada believe Bouchard's loss against Petra Kvitova in Wimbledon final on Saturday may have cost her millions in sponsorship income.
Eugenie Bouchard
In a report in Canada's National Post, experts predicted a tremendous hike in Bouchard's fortunes if she had won her maiden Grand Slam title.
"Champions (project) hard work, humility, perseverance, and those are all qualities and attributes other brands like to associate with," said Vijay Setlur, a sports marketing at York University, was quoted as saying.
"Once that potential is realised, then more brands will present offers or partnerships because you're dealing now with an athlete that's proven," Setlur added. Bouchard, 20, is Canada's new tennis hope after she became the first woman to reach a Grand Slam final. She has reached Grand Slam semi-final twice and was 2012 Junior champion at Wimbledon.
Cary Kaplan, president and owner of the marketing firm Cosmo Sports, said Bouchard will need a championship to "catapult" her earnings potential, but predicted a bright future for her. "She's charismatic.
She is very focused. You don't have the impression that she will wilt away," said Kaplan. Bouchard is already being touted to steal the limelight from tennis' glamour girl Maria Sharapova.
