EXCLUSIVE: Dior Taps Olympic Tennis Champion Zheng Qinwen as Global Ambassador

Lily Templeton
·2-min read

FASHION ACE: Dior on Thursday named tennis champion Zheng Qinwen its new global brand ambassador.

The 22-year-old Chinese athlete became the first Asian tennis player to win gold in singles at the Paris Olympics. Nicknamed “Queen Wen” by fans, she is currently world number five in the Women’s Tennis Association’s ranking.

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Zheng “embodies the elegance and boldness of Dior style, a femininity in perpetual motion,” the French fashion house said in a statement. “More than ever, this unique alliance seals the house’s commitment to empowerment and self-assertion, spotlighting the multiple connections that unite the worlds of sport and couture.”

Born in Shiyan, a city in the northwestern province of Hubei, Zheng started tennis at age 7 and quickly emerged as one of China’s most promising players.

Following her debut on the professional circuit in 2019, Zheng made headlines by beating a top-10 player in the fourth round of the French Open in 2022. Her first WTA title came in 2023 when she won the Palermo Ladies Open.

2024 was a banner year for the player, who was a finalist at the Australian Open and defended her Palermo title in the weeks preceding the Paris Games. Among the competitors she bested on her way to Olympic gold was world number one Iga Swiatek.

The newly minted Olympian closed the year on another high, winning the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Nominated for the 2024 WTA Player of the Year, she took home accolades as Fan Favorite Singles, WTA 250 Best Moment winner, and Shot of Year.

Ahead of her first in-competition match at this year’s Australian Open, Zheng played an exhibition match against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina on Wednesday in Melbourne.

Maria Grazia Chiuri, creative director of womenswear at Dior, has woven athletic references into her collections ever since her fencing-inspired debut for the label in 2016. She took on a star role during the Paris Olympics, crafting outfits for performers including Lady Gaga and Celine Dion for the opening ceremony.

The Chinese tennis star’s appointment as global ambassador continues Dior’s all-star streak with female athletes.

In the run-up to the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, the French house house tapped a cadre of athlete ambassadors that included sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica; U.S. soccer player Alex Morgan; and Australian swimmer Emma McKeon.

It also teamed up with parent company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton for three joint ambassadors: gymnast Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos, wheelchair tennis player Pauline Déroulède and para-cyclist Marie Patouillet.

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