PARIS: Fast Retailing's Uniqlo has signed tennis star Novak Djokovic to a five-year contract in an attempt to increase its brand appeal among European and U.S.-based shoppers as the company looks to expand outside its home market of Japan.
The deal, for an undisclosed sum, will require the top-ranked Serb to wear Uniqlo clothing both on the court and off.
He will also be involved in the creation and design of the clothing, he said at a news conference in Paris on yesterday, dressed in tennis whites with fine red piping.
Asked if he was trying to boost his image, Djokovic, who recently defeated Roger Federer but lost out to top rival Rafael Nadal on clay in Rome, joked: "I don't want to compete with (Federer) in terms of elegance, not Nadal either."
Uniqlo, owned by Asia's top apparel retailer, is aggressively expanding in the United States and Europe, planning to open between 200 and 300 new stores a year, Founder and Chief Executive Tadashi Yanai told Reuters in an interview.
He added that Uniqlo, which owns France's Princesse Tam.Tam and Comptoir des Cotonniers chains, did have some interest in purchasing small companies. Previously, Yanai had stated that the company was primarily interested in only large mergers.
"We would be interested both in Europe and the United States," Yanai told Reuters. "Small companies as well as others."
He added that low commercial rents in the U.S. and Europe were helping Uniqlo in its expansion plans.
"For new companies that want to enter the market, the current economic climate is quite favourable," he said.
He told the news conference that Uniqlo was struggling with some of its stores in the UK and would be shutting underperforming shops, while opening new ones.
Uniqlo signs Djokovic, looks to expand abroad
Uniqlo signs Djokovic, looks to expand abroad
Undefeated boxing great Terence Crawford announces retirement
- Crawford, (42-0, 31 knockouts), retires as the reigning WBA, IBF and WBO supermiddleweight champion after defeating Alvarez by unanimous decision in a masterful performance
- Crawford’s career straddled three different decades, with the southpaw making his professional debut in 2008 and rapidly becoming one of boxing’s brightest talents
LOS ANGELES: Undefeated world super middleweight champion Terence Crawford announced his retirement from boxing on Tuesday, hanging up his gloves three months after a career-defining victory over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
The 38-year-old from Nebraska, who dominated Mexican legend Alvarez in Las Vegas in September to claim the undisputed super middleweight crown, announced his decision in a video posted on social media.
“I’m stepping away from competition, not because I’m done fighting, but because I’ve won a different type of battle,” Crawford said in his retirement message. “The one where you walk away on your own terms.”
Crawford, (42-0, 31 knockouts), retires as the reigning WBA, IBF and WBO supermiddleweight champion after defeating Alvarez by unanimous decision in a masterful performance.
Crawford had also held the WBC super middleweight belt, but was stripped of it earlier this month following a dispute over sanctioning fees.
Speaking in his video, Crawford said his career had been driven by a desire to keep “proving everyone wrong.”
“Every fighter knows this moment will come, we just never know when,” Crawford said.
“I spent my whole life chasing something. Not belts, not money, not headlines. But that feeling, the one you get when the world doubts you but you keep showing up and you keep proving everyone wrong.”
“I fought for my family. I fought for my city. I fought for the kid I used to be, the one who had nothing but a dream and a pair of gloves. And I did it all my way. I gave this sport every breath I had.”
Crawford’s career straddled three different decades, with the southpaw making his professional debut in 2008 and rapidly becoming one of boxing’s brightest talents.
He won his maiden world title, the WBO lightweight crown, with victory over Scotland’s Ricky Burns in 2014.
Crawford won 18 world titles in five weight classes, culminating in his win over Alvarez.
He retires having never been officially knocked down in a fight.
All of his 42 victories have come by way of unanimous decision or stoppage, with no judge ever scoring in favor of an opponent during his career.
