Sponsorship is a key form of revenue for all athletes, especially tennis players.
Madison Keys, the US Open eighth seed (and friend of Paddy Barnes) began her campaign on Monday night, defeating Alison Riske in three sets.
Keys has recently entered a deal with Orangetheory Fitness, which allowed the brand to put their logo on the 21-year-old when she was playing. The Illinois star also has a deal with Nike, which precludes her from having any other brands on their clothing.
COMEBACK: #Keys defeats #Riske in 3 set battle - the latest finish of a women's match in #usopen recorded history. pic.twitter.com/XBD0zEFO1s
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2016
According to ESPN, Keys planned to use a temporary tattoo of the brand's logo when competing in Flushing Meadows. That was quickly thrown out by tournament organisers.
"It is against Grand Slam rules to have signage on the body, and we're not going to let fashion get in the way of that," spokesman Chris Widmaier said.
Keys' agent Max Eisenbud was not happy with the decision, which he hopes will be reversed for next year's event.
"We were not asking for this logo to be larger than others. We were just asking for Madison, who like all players is an independent contractor, to be able to wear a logo of a sponsor on her skin as she plays on a court with more than 30 other logos that the USTA makes money on."
Keys is the third-highest American seed in the tournament. She faces another American in Kayla Day in the second round.
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