Lacoste Changes Its Famous Crocodile Into Goat to Honor Novak Djoković: How Many Athletes Were Respected This Way Before?

Lacoste changed its famous emblem from the Crocodile to the Goat in honor of the best male tennis player of all time.

Photo: Novak Djoković in the Lacoste ad from 2023 (screenshot: youtube.com/@BETCEuroRSCGParis)

A French designer sports fashion company, Lacoste, is celebrating its ambassador, Novak Djoković, by turning the brand’s famous green crocodile logo into a green goat, which, of course, points to the acronym GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), on the eve of the 2025 US Open, where the Serbia player is the third favorite for the win by tennis bookies’s odds. This led to the creation of a limited-edition capsule collection.

This symbolic transformation, called “From the Crocodile to the Goat”, honors an amazing player who has pushed the limits of what’s possible in tennis and gone beyond what was thought feasible. The Serb has been a Lacoste ambassador for more than 8 years, and he’s a perfect example of this quality that deserves to be celebrated.

The GOAT line includes 5 classic items: a polo shirt, a t-shirt, a tracksuit jacket, a cap, and pants, all of which boldly display the unique emblem. This limited-edition capsule is only available in a few countries throughout the world.

Djoković, who has won 24 Grand Slam titles, the most ever by a male player, personally launched Lacoste’s collection at a new sports brand’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. This commemoration has a special meaning in the United States, where Lacoste co-founder René Lacoste had many notable accomplishments. He won the US Championship in 1926 and 1927, and it was there that he came up with the idea for the polo shirt.

Sports Brands Reimagine Their Logos to Honor Star Athletes: From Paris to São Paulo, Beijing to Mumbai

In the world of sports branding, the logo is sacred. For decades, emblems like the Nike Swoosh, the above-mentioned Lacoste crocodile, or PUMA’s leaping cat have been untouchable. Yet a growing trend is seeing global and regional sports brands temporarily — or even permanently — swap out their own marks for those of the athletes they celebrate.

From tennis courts to futsal pitches, here’s a look at how brands are bending the rules of their own visual identity to honor their stars – Locoste’s logo reimagining included.

Global and European Highlights

• Lacoste to GOAT for Novak Djoković (France/Serbia): In a bold move ahead of the 2025 US Open, Lacoste replaced its 92-year-old crocodile logo with a stylized goat on limited-edition apparel, paying tribute to Djoković’s “Greatest of All Time” status.
• Nike (Jumpman) to Michael Jordan Silhouette (USA/USA): The now-iconic Jumpman logo—a silhouette of Michael Jordan in midair—has replaced the Swoosh on Jordan Brand products since 1988, making a basketball majesty’s personal icon one of the most recognizable marks in sport.
• Nike to Caitlin Clark “CC” Logo (USA/USA): Earlier this year, Nike unveiled interlocking “CC” initials for the female basketball prodigy Caitlin Clark to appear on her signature shoe and apparel line. The emblem becomes the lead brand marker for those products.

Asian Leaders in Athlete Logo Integration

• Li-Ning to “Way of Wade” Logo (China/USA): Co-created with basketball star Dwyane Wade, the WOW emblem is placed where Li-Ning’s parent logo would normally appear, making Wade’s mark the hero on shoes and apparel.
• ANTA to “KAI” Mark for Kyrie Irving (China/USA): As part of a creative partnership, ANTA products in the KAI series carry a basketball player’s personal logo as the primary identifier on footwear and clothing.
• ANTA to “KT” Logo for Klay Thompson (China/USA): ANTA’s KT series features Thompson’s initials in the main branding zones, a decade-long signature line presence. Another US basketball player has had such an honor
• PEAK to “TP9” for Tony Parker (China/France): PEAK’s TP9 shoes lead with the French basketball star Parker’s personal branding, integrating his initials and number directly into the shoe name and visuals.
• YONEX to “LD” Symbol for Lin Dan (Japan/China): Badminton great Lin Dan’s initials adorn exclusive rackets and gear, replacing or pairing with YONEX marks in prime positions.
• ASICS → Novak Djoković Logo (Japan/Serbia): In the COURT FF “Novak” line, Djoković’s personal emblem is printed on footwear and apparel as a co-hero logo alongside ASICS.
• UNIQLO to “RF” Logo for Roger Federer (Japan/Switzerland): UNIQLO has released caps and apparel where Swiss tennis great Federer’s “RF” mark takes the place of the brand’s front logo, with UNIQLO’s box logo moved to a secondary position.

Latin America Standouts

• PUMA to Pelé “Icon” Boots (Germany/Brazil): Limited-edition King boots swap out standard cat logos for Pelé’s signature, his iconic No. 10, and silhouette — a deep tribute to Brazil’s football king.
• Topper to Falcão Futsal Branding (Brazil/Brazil): The “Topper Falcão” line features the futsal legend’s name and F12 mark as the dominant design elements, including placements typically reserved for Topper’s wordmark.

India’s Cricket and Lifestyle Crossovers

• PUMA India to one8 for Virat Kohli (India/India): The one8 logo—Kohli’s personal mark—appears in chest and heel positions, displacing the PUMA cat on apparel and footwear in the legendary cricketer’s signature line.
• CEAT to “Hitman” for Rohit Sharma: CEAT’s Rohit Sharma bats are headlined by his “Hitman” branding on the bat face, replacing standard CEAT branding zones for this sub-line. A great honor for another cricket standout from India.

This global pattern shows that athletes aren’t just endorsers — they’re becoming co-owners of brand real estate. For some, like Jordan or Wade, the logo swap has been permanent; for others, like Djoković’s GOAT or Pelé’s King boot, it’s a limited-run celebration. Either way, it’s proof that in the modern sports economy, the athlete’s brand can be as powerful — sometimes more so — than the company’s own.