“Look, we’re two different people, for sure,” Osaka explained. “I think her experiences aren’t the same as mine, and I wouldn’t have it any other way, you know.
“For me, I have always loved IMG. I have been treated really well there, and the people there are really kind to me. I would recommend to IMG to people. I guess she wouldn’t.”
Sabalenka probably has good reason for that. She felt seriously undervalued for many of the last years she spent at the agency, and had been vocal about wanting to get more involved in projects involving fashion on and off court, as well as leaning into social media content creation, but there was little movement in that area.
Under Evolve, on the other hand, the Sabalenka brand has been growing rapidly, and it shows in her flourishing portfolio of endorsements, partnerships, events and appearances.
Read More: How Aryna Sabalenka is building a brand as powerful as her game
Just in the last few months, Sabalenka was announced as the first-ever tennis ambassador for Emirates airline and as a global brand ambassador for luxury fashion house Gucci. And during the offseason, Sabalenka—the year-end WTA world No. 1—also stayed on the lucrative exhibition circuit, competing against Osaka in the Garden Cup in New York City alongside Kyrgios and Tommy Paul, and taking part in the high-profile Battle of the Sexes against Kyrgios in Dubai.
