Roger Federer welcomes 'Challengers' star Zendaya to the On apparel family

Roger Federer, Iga Swiatek, Ben Shelton ... Tashi Duncan? Challengers star Zendaya, who plays the latter starring role in the tennis-themed blockbuster, has signed on to be the newest brand ambassador for On apparel.

As a part of the deal, the actress will collaborate with On for design and creative campaigns, and to kick off the partnership, the A-lister starred in a short film entitled Dream Together that dropped on social media on Thursday.

Directed by artist and choreographer C Prinz, the visual demonstrates creative movement in action, one of On's hallmark identities, while she speaks.

“I owe so much to the people around me for getting me to where I am and this film recognizes and appreciates those who support and uplift us every day,” she says in the clip. “I think this feeling of collaboration and inclusiveness shines through in what we’ve created.”

Zendaya is known for her status as a fashion icon, having had global deals with luxury brands including Valentino, Louis Vuitton and Lancôme, and her signing represents the staying power of the "tenniscore" style she showcased during the blockbuster's promotional tour. She wore On sneakers with an Alaïa dress during the press tour for Challengers, and Faist also wears them in the film.

On, which began as a footwear company more than a decade ago, has been making rapid gains in real-life tennis, too. Federer invested in the company, which has Swiss origins, in 2019, and last year, the brand signed deals with both Shelton and Swiatek as its first foray into on-court tennis apparel. Earlier this year, the brand also snagged former junior world No. 1 Joao Fonseca shortly after he turned professional.

When news of the collab hit social media, Federer took a break from the golf course to log on and congratulate the A-lister on joining the family—and he did it in his own "style": with a dad joke.

"It's On," the former world No. 1 quipped alongside a meme of himself copying one the iconic shots from Challengers, which sees a sunglasses-clad Zendaya watching the co-stars Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor, who play the two men dueling for her affections, play a match.

“We’ve been massive admirers of Zendaya’s ability to inspire a generation and dream big. We can’t think of a better partner to help us grow, evolve and connect with people around the world than Zendaya,” On co-founder David Allemann said in a statement.

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