When PokerStars signed Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal in June 2012 it made the headlines as Rafael Nadal was at the top of his game and his love for poker made him a great signing for the biggest online poker website in the world. Since then, PokerStars has gone on to sign some of the biggest sportstars in the world including football stars Neymar Jr, Cristiano Ronaldo, Fatima Moreira de Melo and Ronaldo.
PokerStars and Nadal’s signed a 2 year contract that had the possibility of being extended to a third year and the Spanish ace received 12 million euros for being a brand ambassador.
Nadal’s first year was probably his best year for PokerStars as he continued to do well on the tennis circuit and his presence at PokerStars sponsored events brought a lot of media attention.
However, for the last 24 months things haven’t gone well for the former world number who suffered an injury setback that forced him to take time off from the game. Since his return, Nadal hasn’t been his former self and has struggled to recapture his form and fitness. Nadal hasn’t made it to a grand slam final since during the last two years and has openly admitted that he will probably never regain his form of old. Many sports analysts believe that Rafa Nadal is now at the end of his career and will probably never win another grand slam.
PokerStars recently launched its biggest marketing campaign with a huge focus on the Latin American market using Neymar Jr and Cristiano Ronaldo social media presence to promote its brand and reach out to a new set of fans. The fact that PokerStars decided to drop him is another blow to the Spaniard as it probably signifies that Nadal no longer has the growing fan base or the impact that he once used to have.
In a statement, PokerStars said
Rafa Nadal has played an important role for our brand and while his time as a member of Team PokerStars SportStars has concluded for now, we remain close to him and his team. Our strategy and work with Rafa has led our strategy to evolve, and consequently, our current focus in on working with Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr.
Nadal has confirmed that he has no plans to retire and is yesterday was seen playing the China Open Final against Novak Djokovic in Beijing which ended in defeat (2-6, 2-6). The Spaniard will now focus on his tennis as he looks to make a comeback in 2016.
