This is an archive article published on May 12, 2022

Naomi Osaka breaks from IMG to start own sports agency

Duguid and Osaka began discussing the venture at the Tokyo Olympics last year, Duguid told Reuters via email, adding that the firm, called Evolve, will operate as a "small boutique and bespoke agency."

A tearful Naomi Osaka retired injured and U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu fell at the first hurdle as the top women's players continued their preparations for Flushing Meadows at the Toronto Open on Tuesday.

By: Reuters

2 min readNew YorkMay 12, 2022 11:12 AM IST First published on: May 12, 2022 at 10:43 AM IST

Four-times major winner Naomi Osaka is breaking away from IMG to launch her own sports agency with longtime agent Stuart Duguid.

Duguid and Osaka began discussing the venture at the Tokyo Olympics last year, Duguid told Reuters via email, adding that the firm, called Evolve, will operate as a “small boutique and bespoke agency.”

“We were discussing the business models of some of her mentors like Kobe (Bryant) and Lebron (James). We thought – why has no transcendent female athlete done that yet,” he said.

“It’s athlete-driven and focused on big picture brand building rather than quick checks with a commission attached.”