Heather Watson   opened the new year with a new look.

The British No. 1 has signed on with New Balance. The 38th-ranked Watson wore New Balance apparel and shoes en route to the Hobart title earlier this month.

"I am really excited about my new partnership with such a cool and innovative global brand as New Balance," Watson said. "It is a great honor for me to be welcomed into the New Balance sporting family and I am looking forward to playing my own part in the brand's growing tennis ambitions."

Watson joins Wimbledon semifinalist Milos Raonic as a New Balance endorser and more players may be coming. The brand says it is on a drive to "build a formidable presence in the tennis market worldwide."

Watson lost in the Australian Open first round to Tsvetana Pironkova.