Nike Launches Aryna Sabalenka Ad for Australian Open

Aryna Sabalenka stars in a new advertisement for Nike ahead of the 2025 Australian Open.

Nike is spotlighting Aryna Sabalenka's quest for a three-peat at the Australian Open. | IMAGO / Hasenkopf

The 2025 Australian Open is here, and the world's best tennis players are not the only ones competing in Melbourne. All of the major sportswear brands are trying to steal the global spotlight at the first Grand Slam of the year.

As men's and women's tennis have undergone a changing of the guard in the past few years, a new generation of talent is becoming the face of the sport, among the rising stars in WTA World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Sabalenka will soon embark on her quest for three consecutive titles at the Australian Open. To highlight that exciting story, Nike dropped an advertisement that is already an instant classic. Check out the 40-second Instagram video below.

The commercial puts the spotlight on Sabalenka's powerful serve while doubling as a P.S.A. for her opponents. Sabalenka destroys an S.U.V. with her increasingly fast serve (hitting a crescendo of 214 KMH).

A warning sign informed viewers "this was just a test" and not to try to "recreate the power of Aryna Sabalenka at home." It ends with the message, "Good luck returning that," in a large, black and bright green font.

Despite dominating last season and having objectively the most fun personality on the WTA tour, Sabalenka is still not yet a signature athlete for Nike. In fact, Sabalenka lags behind most of her top women's tennis players in endorsement deals.

The 2025 Australian Open will take place from January 12-26. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

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