Stockholm, Sweden (BBN)-H&M has announced signed a long-term partnership with the international tennis star Tomas Berdych. Currently ranked 6th in the world, Czech-born Berdych will be an ambassador for H&M both on-court and off, and will work closely with the H&M design team on a unique tennis collection which will debut in stores later on. 
Tomas is one of the brightest talents in a globally popular sport, who also has a personal love of fashion and style, which means he is the perfect partner for H&M.
“I am very excited about this partnership. This is H&M’s first foray into tennis and it is very flattering for me to be their first ambassador. H&M is young, cool and easy, everything I think clothing should be. I love fashion, and it’s great to now have H&M to help me develop my tennis and off-court apparel. I’m sure we will do great things together”, Tomas Berdych said in a statement on Tuesday.
“I am so happy to welcome Tomas to the H&M family. Tomas is such an exciting player, and he also cares greatly about style. We can’t wait to start working with him, to watch Tomas wear H&M on court, and to see our upcoming collection with him in H&M stores worldwide”, Karl-Johan Persson, CEO of H&M, said.
Tomas Berdych’s partnership with H&M marks a new chapter in the relationship between sport and fashion. The partnership will see H&M clothing worn on court by a top-ranking tennis player for the first time and will bring a professional sports influence to H&M. As well as playing in H&M, Tomas will also be an ambassador for H&M off the court, wearing his pick from H&M’s menswear collections.
27 year-old Tomas Berdych is one of the most-watched players on the professional tennis circuit. Currently ranked 6th in the world, his biggest achievement so far has been reaching the finals at Wimbledon in 2010, beating Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the process and he was also pivotal in the Czech Republic`s Davis Cup victory in 2012. 
A great role model, Tomas is already one of the biggest stars of a sport growing in international popularity, both in terms of spectators and also those playing the game in their own leisure time. The growth reflects that of H&M, a growing global company which continues to open stores in new markets worldwide.
 
BBN/SSR/AD-16Jan13-10:54 am (BST)