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Naomi Osaka Rejected Coca Cola Deal to Make Lot of Money

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Vivek Devane | Last updated Sep 12, 2025 3:28 PM ET

Naomi Osaka is best known to the world as a four-time Grand Slam champion and one of the most formidable players on the WTA Tour, with seven career singles titles to her name. But away from the court, Osaka has built a reputation as one of the most financially savvy athletes of her generation, with Forbes estimating her net worth at over $60 million.

Her success is not just a result of prize money and traditional endorsements, but also from a series of bold business decisions that have set her apart. In a recent interview with First&red, her longtime agent Stuart Duguid shed light on one such pivotal choice that proved to be career-defining: Osaka’s decision to turn down a lucrative deal with Coca-Cola and instead partner with BodyArmor, a then-rising sports drink brand.

"You know, we, for example, we had a deal with a company called BodyArmor, which was a sports drink that Naomi did," Duguid explained. "Kobe Bryant was the first athlete with BodyArmor, and then we was close after that. And at the time, she could have signed with Coca-Cola, or she could have signed with BodyArmor before the Tokyo Olympics."

According to Duguid, Coca-Cola had offered Osaka a substantial contract, but the tennis star opted for a different route. "With Coca-Cola, they were offering her a lot of money, but she said, number one, I don't drink Coca-Cola. Number two, like, if this company does really, really well, I'll make even more than I'll make with Coca-Cola," he said.

Her instincts paid off. BodyArmor eventually skyrocketed in value and was sold to Coca-Cola in a deal worth over a billion dollars. Because Osaka had secured equity in the company, she ended up earning significantly more than she ever would have from a standard endorsement.

“In the end, we signed with BodyArmor, which is a hydration drink that was eventually sold to Coca-Cola, ironically. And when there was a transaction, it was sold for over a billion dollars, and she had a percentage of that company, so she made much more from that deal than anything else,” said Duguid.

As her career continues to evolve both on and off the court, Osaka’s story is proving to be a blueprint for how athletes can leverage their platforms for generational success—choosing authenticity, bold decisions, and smart investment over short-term gain.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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