Professional tennis players have been in a host of television commercials throughout the years with some getting more screen time than others. Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and John McEnroe have been popular among advertisers and seem to snag some of the more clever TV spots. Meanwhile, WTA players aren’t as likely to be featured in “funny” commercials, but rather clothing or beauty ads, like Steffi Graf for Rexona deodorant, Venus and Serena Williams for Avon, Caroline Wozniacki for Proactive, and Maria Sharapova for Nike apparel. Anna Kournikova also was in several commercials during the height of her popularity, but most focused on her physical appearance.
After watching a lot commercials featuring professional tennis players today, here’s my list of the best 10. While the below ads are all funny, I couldn’t help but comment on the drastically different portrayals of ATP and WTA players in the media. Enjoy watching these commercials — and hopefully we’ll find female professional players getting more screen time in the future!
Chase Mobile
Starring Andy Roddick and John McEnroe
Roddick and McEnroe’s on-court personalities shine through in this 2014 commercial.
Canon
Starring Andre Agassi
You can’t help but laugh at how 90’s this camera commercial is featuring Agassi’s flowing blonde locks.
Genworth Financial
Starring Taylor Dent
I won’t tell you who the other pros featured in this spot are because it will ruin the punch line, but in case you didn’t know, Taylor Dent was an American pro in the early 2000s, who reached a career high singles ranking of no. 21 on the ATP tour.
Tesco
Starring John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg
This ad for a British supermarket shows McEnroe and Borg never grew out of their competitiveness.
Mercedes Benz
Starring Roger Federer
In this commercial, Federer proves even the best have a desire to be better.
American Express
Starring Andy Roddick
Looking back at this ad now, it’s ironic more than anything. You’ll see why if you know your tennis history.
Nike
Starring John McEnroe, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi
Every tennis player can relate to what happens in this commercial.
Nike
Starring Rafael Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo beats Nadal in tennis and then Nadal beats Ronaldo in soccer. And it’s all because of a pair of shoes.
Canon
Starring Maria Sharapova
This spot goes to show that humanity likes dogs more than any other person.
Nike
Starring Maria Sharapova
Sharapova proves she’s more than just a pretty face for Nike apparel.
