Sponsorship · Apparel and shoes

adidas junior tennis sponsorship

No, a junior cannot apply for full adidas sponsorship. adidas says there is no formal application: its scouts watch junior tournaments and contact families when a Junior National Team spot opens. What a US junior can apply for is adiplayer, a discount program that gives 30% off MSRP to players who meet a published ranking rule.

By Dave Lobell · Checked October 18, 2026

Can a junior apply?

Not for full sponsorship. US juniors who meet a ranking rule can join adiplayer (30% off).

adidas junior programs

adiplayer (adidas Tennis Preferred Player Program)

Juniors, adults, college players, ATP/WTA players and certified coaches who meet at least one criterion (tennis, pickleball and padel) US only as published (all criteria are USTA / US college / US certification based; flat US shipping; US toll-free phone). No equivalent published for UK, Canada, Australia or Europe.

Who qualifies

Tennis Recruiting Hot 100
Juniors with a top 20 USTA Sectional ranking (12s through 18s) or a top 150 USTA National ranking (singles only)
Tennisrecruiting.net 3-star recruits and higher
ITF (junior) ranking in the top 300
UTR in conjunction with a 2-star Tennis Recruiting rating: UTR 7 for girls, UTR 9 for boys
Div I, II, III or NAIA rostered collegiate players (with documentation from school)
Adults: top-20 USTA national singles (Open or age group) or top-5 doubles
ATP/WTA player or coach; USPTA and/or PTR certified teaching professional

What the player gets

30% off MSRP on apparel and footwear (2026 homepage)
Exclusive adiplayer merch; special products around the Miami Open and US Open
Additional holiday promotions; friends-and-family events at certain times of year
Two big product launches a year (January and July)

What the brand expects

Merchandise may not be re-sold or shared; product 'is to be worn head-to-toe by the player or coach'
Each December members must send an updated ranking, roster or certification; members who fall below the guidelines can no longer order (adidas says it will 'hold your spot')
Eligibility lasts until ranking drops below requirements / no longer on a college team / no longer certified
No 6-month outsole wear guarantee on adiplayer shoes (including Barricade); flat $10 shipping ($20 2nd-day)

How to apply

Create an account and submit the online application at adiplayer.com ('Join adiplayer' / account-application?applicationtype=player). Parents may apply on behalf of a qualifying junior using the player's details. The form asks for the qualification, a TennisRecruiting.net profile (yes/no) and qualification details. adidas says to allow up to two business days for verification. Phone 1-800-789-5597 (M-F 8:30am-4:30pm). [1]

Open the adidas page

adidas Tennis Junior National Team (full sponsorship)

'The best of the best juniors in the country' (US) US (as described on adiplayer FAQ)

Who qualifies

No published thresholds. adidas says it tracks results and rankings 'very closely' but also takes 'many other aspects into account', including whether the junior demonstrates adidas brand values

What the player gets

Not published by adidas.

What the brand expects

Not published by adidas.

How to apply

No application. FAQ: 'There is no formal application process for sponsorship by adidas Tennis. When a position opens up on the team adidas will reach out directly to a junior and/or their family if they believe they qualify.' [2]

Open the adidas page

adidas junior academy partnership program (2016)

Selected US academies; adidas outfits all coaches and top-level players at those academies US (CenterCourt Academy NJ, Tucker Tennis Academy OK, T Bar M TX, Kansas City United Tennis, Midtown Weston FL, 4 Star Tennis Academy VA)

Who qualifies

Academy-level deal; no individual criteria published

What the player gets

Gear for coaches and top-level players; adidas branding at facilities and retail; adidas uses academies for wear-testing and feedback

What the brand expects

Not published by adidas.

How to apply

Not an individual application. Current status after 2016 not published. [5]

Open the adidas page

How to approach adidas, step by step

Check the adiplayer rules below. The junior needs only one of them.
Create an account on adiplayer.com and fill in the player application. A parent can apply for the junior.
Allow up to two business days for adidas to check the ranking.
Each December, send the updated ranking. A player below the rules cannot order until they qualify again.
For full sponsorship there is nothing to send: results at national events are what adidas scouts watch.

How adidas finds and signs juniors

adidas says it has 'a team of highly qualified scouts and coaches across the country monitoring the junior tournaments with our current and potential future candidates' and that it selects juniors who are exceptional athletes and 'demonstrate the adidas brand values in every aspect of their life'. [2]
adidas said its 2016 academy program lets it 'connect with some of the best junior talent'. [5]
In September 2016 adidas struck a multi-year deal with the USTA that put adidas branding on the USTA's top-flight junior tournament series and made it official sponsor of USTA player development (financial terms not disclosed). [6]
Former adidas player Sorana Cirstea said in 2022 that adidas told her 'it's better to look good and be in the top 20 than to not look that good and be No. 1', and that brands 'have their own quotas, it's a market'. This is one player's account; no adidas response was published in the article. [9]

Juniors and young players with adidas

Player	What happened
Alexander Zverev	Signed a head-to-toe apparel and footwear deal with adidas on 1 February 2016 at age 18; described by adidas as a former junior world No. 1; headlined the adizero range. [4]
Felix Auger-Aliassime	adidas announced a 'long-term partnership' in January 2021, when he was 20 and the youngest player in the top 25. [7]
Bojana Jovanovski	Announced an adidas sponsorship in August 2011 at age 19, calling it 'one of my first big partnerships'. [8]
Frances Tiafoe	Began his career with adidas before switching to Nike in 2017 while still a teenager. [11]

These players were already among the best in the world for their age. They show how the top deals happen, not what a typical junior can expect.

Other ways to get adidas gear support

College route: Div I, II, III and NAIA rostered college players qualify for adiplayer with documentation from the school. [1]
Coach route: USPTA and/or PTR certified teaching professionals and ATP/WTA touring coaches qualify for adiplayer as coaches. [1]
Academy route: in 2016 adidas outfitted coaches and top players at six partner US academies. [5]
Team uniforms: Tennis Warehouse sells adidas (and Nike) team uniform lines for school teams, with embroidery/printing, samples, quotes and school/league discount pages (team@tennis-warehouse.com, 888-466-1188). [10]

What to watch out for

adiplayer is a discount program, not a sponsorship. adidas itself separates it from full sponsorship ('How do I become fully sponsored by adidas?' -> no formal application). [2]
Older copies of the adiplayer FAQ list only 'top 20 USTA Sectional / top 150 USTA National' for juniors; the 2025-2026 site adds ITF top 300, Tennis Recruiting 3-star+, Hot 100 and UTR 7 (girls)/9 (boys) with 2-star. Articles quoting only the old two criteria are out of date. [1]
Orders are processed under the name 'Fromuth Tennis' on card statements, so parents may not see 'adidas' on the charge. [2]
The USTA's own 2016 announcement page (playerdevelopment.usta.com/.../usta_partners_with_adidas_to_enhance_grass-roots_tennis) now returns 404; current status of the adidas/USTA junior series sponsorship is not published in the sources found. [6]
A parent-focused search turns up third-party guides telling players to mail proposals to adidas AG in Herzogenaurach; these are not adidas pages and conflict with adidas Tennis's own statement that there is no application. [2]

New to sponsorship? Start with the full guide to junior tennis sponsorship: how to build a player profile, write a one-page proposal and follow up.

adidas sponsorship questions parents ask

Can my child apply for an adidas tennis sponsorship?

Not for full sponsorship. adidas Tennis says there is no formal application and it contacts juniors or families directly when a Junior National Team spot opens. Juniors can apply to the adiplayer discount program if they meet a published ranking or rating threshold.

What ranking does my child need for adiplayer?

At least one of: top 20 USTA sectional (12s-18s) or top 150 USTA national (singles); Tennis Recruiting 3-star or higher; Tennis Recruiting Hot 100; ITF top 300; or UTR 7 (girls) / 9 (boys) together with a 2-star Tennis Recruiting rating.

What discount does adiplayer give?

30% off MSRP on apparel and footwear, plus exclusive merch and holiday promotions.

What happens if my child's ranking drops?

Each December adidas asks for an updated ranking. If the player no longer qualifies, they cannot order through adiplayer, but adidas says it will hold the spot until they qualify again.

Can a parent fill in the application?

Yes. The form says a parent/guardian requesting an account for a qualifying junior should enter the player's information.

Sources

Checked October 18, 2026. Programs, forms and criteria change. Check the brand's own page before you apply.

Other brands

Brand	Can a junior apply?
Nike	No. Nike does not accept unsolicited sponsorship requests.
Wilson (incl. Luxilon, Select Team, W-Team)	Yes, for the Wilson + Luxilon Select Team (discounted gear, not free gear).
HEAD	Yes. Team HEAD USA takes US juniors 18 and under with an official ranking. HEAD Australia has its own form.
Babolat	Yes. Send a request through the Babolat sponsorship form.
Yonex	US juniors only, through an online form. The form is closed for 2026; Yonex says to reach out in January 2027.
Solinco	Yes. US juniors use an online form (typically 3 stars and up); international players email a PDF form.
Dunlop	Yes. Team Dunlop has an "Apply Now" contact form. No criteria are published.
Diadem	Yes. The Diadem Dynasty Team is open to players of all levels (gear at a discounted or free price point).
Lacoste	No individual application. Junior routes are Les Petits As, Petits Crocos and the free Lacoste Junior Tennis Academy in New York.
New Balance	Not published. New Balance has no public junior application.
FILA	No individual application. FILA works through academies (JTCC) and junior events.
K-Swiss	Yes, from age 14: the Team K-Swiss ambassador program (UK site). No US version found.
On	Not published. On has no public junior application.

What to do next

Track Tournament deadlines Track the events you plan to play and get a reminder before entry closes. College College fit + gap Which divisions fit your player now, and the gap to each target. Track Progress tracker Log ratings over time and see the trend against college targets.