$300 Million for an Aging Tennis Star? Roger Federer Is Worth It, Uniqlo Says

3亿美元请一个要老了的网球明星？但优衣库说罗杰·费德勒值这个价

Weeks after it signed Roger Federer to a $300 million endorsement¹ deal, Uniqlo is explaining why a company not known for sports attire² is making such a big commitment to a tennis player in the twilight³ of his career.

在这笔3亿美元的天价代言费签了几周之后，优衣库终于出来解释了：为什么这样一家不以运动装备闻名的公司要花这么大的价钱请一个已经处于职业生涯暮年的网球选手。

“The collaboration⁴ is much bigger than sports,” said John Jay, Uniqlo's global creative director. “We develop high-performance clothes for everyone off the court, and we'd like to think the technology is good enough for an athlete.”

优衣库的全球创意总监 John Jay 说：“这次的合作可远不止是关于运动。我们所做的事情是为赛场外的所有普通人制作高性能的服装，而我们希望让大家知道我们的技术好到能达到运动员的要求。”

“There's a certain level of being discreet⁵ and private that we cherish,” he said. “Of course, we're running a business, but we very much respect that part of his life.”

他说：“这种一定程度的谨慎和私密正是我们珍视的东西。当然，我们是要做生意的，但我们也非常尊重他生活中的那一面。”

“What really resonated with me when we were speaking to UNIQLO was that they respected me not just as an athlete but also as a person with interests and passions beyond the sport,” Mr. Federer said in an email. “I have to eventually think about life after tennis and Uniqlo was a great match for that.”

“真正让我产生共鸣的一点是，当我们和优衣库商谈的时候，他们不光尊重作为运动员的那个我，也尊重我在体育之外的爱好与追求。我最终必须得想想在网球生涯之后应该做些什么，而优衣库是个不错的选择。”