Lacoste gains retail presence under Miami Open deal

French sportswear and fashion brand Lacoste has agreed a five-year deal to become an official partner of the Miami Open tennis tournament from 2015 to 2019.

Lacoste becomes the third global brand to join the Miami Open’s commercial roster this year following Brazilian banking group and title sponsor Itau and payment services provider MasterCard.

As part of the agreement, Lacoste will host two stand-alone retail shops offering fans both tennis and lifestyle apparel. The Miami Open will be the the only tennis event outside of the four annual grand slams to provide this type of shopping experience.

The partnership was brokered by IMG and the managing director of the agency’s tennis division, Fernando Soler, said: “The Lacoste partnership marks the largest deal ever in this category at the Miami Open and we worked closely with our team in France to get it across the finish line. Offering our guests the ultimate access to a luxury shopping experience with Lacoste onsite further positions our event as the premier entertainment platform in sport.”

Lacoste will be the official and exclusive tennis and casual apparel and footwear outfitter of the Miami Open, dressing officials and ball kids on court. The company has a strong presence in Florida, with 15 stores including five boutiques in South Florida.

The 2015 Miami Open will be played March 23-April 5. The Miami Open is one of nine ATP Masters 1000 Series events on the men’s calendar and a Premier Mandatory event on the women’s WTA calendar. Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams are the reigning singles champions.