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“Hideous” – Journalist Furious As Her Work On Ben Shelton’s New Balance Contract Is Stolen After Federer-Backed ON Exit

11 de novembro de 2026

Ben Shelton is reportedly changing his sponsor, leaving Roger Federer’s On after four years for New Balance in January. However, the shift has generated misleading claims about the value of his new sponsorship contract.

A tennis page named “The First Serve” posted details of Shelton’s new contract on Tuesday. However, they revealed the details of the contract without giving credit to the original source. Jessica Schiffer, who authored the post detailing Shelton’s sponsorship change on Hard Court on Monday, slammed the tennis page for failing to credit her work after revealing the information that was behind a paywall.

“Where’d you get this information? Hard Court. Highly recommend not posting paywalled reporting you did absolutely no work to obtain in your hideous little graphic,” Schiffer wrote on X on Tuesday.

According to the X post, which has now been deleted, Shelton’s deal with New Balance includes a guaranteed base salary of $5 million, plus an additional $5 million if he is inside the top 10 ATP rankings by the end of the season. Moreover, if the American finishes as No. 1 in the men’s rankings at year-end, he will receive an additional $3 million. The deal with New Balance also includes a potential signature shoe.

Regarding Shelton’s sponsorship change, On has confirmed the tennis star’s departure, but New Balance has yet to comment.

Why Did On Let Ben Shelton Leave?

According to Jessica Schiffer of Hard Court, Ben Shelton’s representatives were dissatisfied with On’s marketing efforts and product development. The American wanted to capitalize on his growing popularity, and a signature shoe was one of his priorities.

New Balance came along, and the apparel giant may have also included a potential signature shoe in their reported deal with Shelton. This may have prompted the American to leave On, who had the contractual right to match New Balance’s offer but ultimately declined.

Regarding Shelton’s departure, On released the following statement via Hard Court:

“We are very proud of our partnership with Ben and everything we have achieved together on and off the court over the past four years. Athlete partnerships in tennis are and will remain a core pillar of On’s approach. While we ultimately felt that the proposed terms and structure for continuing the partnership were no longer fit for On, we wish Ben nothing but the very best on his journey.”

If the New Balance deal is confirmed, Shelton will become the second American, after two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff, to have a signature shoe deal with the brand. New Balance reportedly launched Gauff’s on-court model in 2024 and then a lifestyle shoe in 2025.

In tennis, On continues to be associated with Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek, who is a six-time Grand Slam champion. Swiatek doesn’t have her own signature shoe yet, though.