Rafa Nadal has swapped racquets for the flashbulbs. Now we can see him as the new model for Louis Vuitton's summer men's fashion and travel accessories campaign 2024, along with tennis player Roger Federer. With less than a week to go before the French luxury house unveils its new summer collection, they have released images of two of today's biggest sporting icons in an epic ascent of the Italian Alps.
The campaign has spared no expense and, in addition to these two current world tennis legends, the famous photographer Annie Leibovitz has been in charge of portraying the impressive images among the snowy Alpine landscapes, on the way to the top of the Italian mountain range of the Dolomites.
Rafa Nadal and Federer, together with the photographer Annie Leibovitz. Photo: L.V.
Under the slogan "Some journeys become legends", the narrative of Leibovitz's images stands out, in which the former track rivals are seen close together in the snowy alpine landscapes, transformed into companions on the ascent to the summit. Values such as solidarity, friendship, sacrifice and self-improvement are distilled from the photos, a perfect metaphor for the ties that bind them together, precisely this year marking two decades since they first faced each other on the courts at the Miami Masters 1000. It also connects with the professional development and challenges that professional athletes and the general public can face.
Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal at the top. Photo: L.V.
A trail of personalities
Louis Vuitton's Core Values campaigns are characterised not only by professional images, but also by the fact that they feature top-level personalities. A few years ago, we saw another duel between two greats for Louis Vuitton: Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, facing each other in front of a chessboard and also photographed by Leibovitz. Last year, the same brand signed the Murcian tennis player Carlos Alcaraz - third in the ATP world ranking - as a global ambassador for its men's fashion collection.
Other models for the French fashion house have included Angelina Jolie and even Mikhail Gorbachev, former leader of the Soviet Union. "I know how many important icons have been part of this campaign, so I am personally very proud to be part of it, especially to be able to share the experience with Roger; a person who has gone from being my biggest rival to a close friend. Throughout my career I have achieved more than I ever dreamed of, at the end of the day I have realised that legacy in human terms is the most important value," explained Nadal.
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Gotta admire these incredible tennis players climbing The Alps in er...''t-shirts'?