WTA aces a beautiful extension

The glamor and elegance of women's tennis is set to continue to grow as Oriflame, one of Europe's leading cosmetic companies, announced on Friday it has extended its partnership with the Women's Tennis Association until the end of 2014.

"We believe it is easier to fulfill your dreams if you look your best," said Michael Cervell, the senior vice-president of Global Brand & Communications at Oriflame. "The partnership with the WTA is about giving young women opportunities to fulfill their dreams and to be the best they can be."

Elena Vesnina, a doubles specialist from Russia, said makeup was important to female athletes.

"Of course, it's important when we get the opportunity to look beautiful on and off the court," said Vesnina, who won this year's French Open doubles with partner Ekaterina Makarova. "This is great chance for us to feel more feminine. We work hard and spend a lot of time on the court. It's difficult to look beautiful all the time. But we are very happy to have Oriflame."

Under the new agreement, Oriflame's support of women's tennis will expand to the Asia-Pacific region.

The brand has already helped the WTA host three tennis festivals - in Beijing, Ningbo, Zhejiang province, and Guangzhou - and will continue to support the WTA's annual pre-Wimbledon party with beauty products.

Since the partnership commenced in 2011, it has played an important role in elevating the profile of women's tennis. Highlights of the union include advertising campaigns, the grooming of players at key WTA events and the building of a large social media community.

Some of the best women's tennis players, including Victoria Azarenka, Caroline Wozniacki and Jelena Jankovic participated in Oriflame's "Because Dreams Matter" campaign, sharing their childhood dreams in English and their own languages. As the WTA continues to expand in China (eight tournaments in 2014), Oriflame will also customize its product line to suit the needs of Chinese consumers, said Cervell.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn