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WATCH: It's On: Roger Federer faces Zendaya in surreal "air tennis" showdown

The latest viral On ad sees the actor, who played a retired tennis prodigy in Challengers, go head-to-head with the real-life retired tennis legend.

ByStephanie Livaudais

Published Jul 12, 2024

Who’ve you got in air tennis: actor Zendaya or 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer? Swiss sportswear giant On's surreal new ad invites viewers to sit back, suspend disbelief and enjoy an epic showdown between these two cultural juggernauts.

The pair teamed up after Zendaya was recently announced as On's latest global brand ambassador—which she called a “full-circle moment” after also starring as retired tennis prodigy “Tashi” in the blockbuster drama Challengers.

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“It’s no secret that I’ve been a big fan of On for a long time,” Zendaya said in a statement. “I’m always wearing them on set, or when I’m traveling, rehearsing or running around with my dog. So it’s a full-circle moment to make this partnership official.”

The ad sees Zendaya reprise her role as a tennis champion, as she spots Federer in an On store and issues a challenge: “ME & YOU, AIR TENNIS, 3PM”.

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Fans of Challengers will eat up all the references—from the moment Zendaya lowers her sunglasses to stare down the former world No. 1, to her personal assistant Darnell Appling playing chair umpire again, to the Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross-inspired techno soundtrack that plays throughout. The ad spot culminates in the pair’s epic air tennis showdown, which is just what it sounds like: a mimed tennis match without the ball.

With its origins in long-distance running, On has been making a splash in tennis since Federer bought a stake in the company back in 2019. Since then, he’s helped to develop “The Roger” line of tennis shoes and has served as a global spokesperson for the Swiss brand.

Last year On took an even bigger step into the market when it signed world No. 1 Iga Swiatek and American Ben Shelton to the brand’s first head-to-toe deals in tennis.