One of the most significant and high-profile sponsorships in world tennis, Roger Federer's affiliation with Nike, has ended on Monday after the Swiss was seen walking onto Centre Court at Wimbledon today sporting Japanese company Uniqlo rather than Nike.

As one of Forbes magazine's most lucratively paid athletes, any sponsorship deal with him is a great investment.

Federer's famous deal with Nike was one of the most lucrative in the sport of tennis, but he has ultimately opted out in exchange for a sponsor with less of a name brand reputation.

A report on the Italian website sportsenators.it, by the highly respected tennis journalist Vincenzo Martucci, has suggested that Uniqlo were ready to offer the Swiss professional $30 million over the next 10 years.. even after he retires from the game!

When appearing on the court on Monday, sporting the Uniqlo strip in replacement of the Nike swoosh, he thus ended a 10-year association with the dominant sporting goods company, a deal said to be worth about $10 million a year.

Due to the new sponsorship, it also means Federer won't be allowed to don his famous gear with the 'RF' logo on it.

Why is this? Well, that's because that logo is also owned by Nike.

So despite all of Federer's fans wearing the gear with the 'RF' logo on it, the Swiss himself won't be allowed to.

The world No. 2, however, stepped foot on the court still sporting his Nike shoes, with many questioning why he has worn two different brands at the Wimbledon championships. 

Uniqlo has yet to begin manufacturing tennis shoes, leaving Federer no choice but to continue wearing his Nike shoes until Uniqlo can provide them for him.

While sporting Uniqlo, the 20-time Grand Slam champion faces the daunting task of winning his record-tying ninth title, which all began with a first round match against Dusan Lajovic.

As expected, that match didn't last long, with the Swiss superstar easing through to the next round in straight sets, winning 6-1, 6-3, 6-4.