During the 2017 US Open press conference, Roger Federer was greeted by young fan and up-and-coming tennis player Izyan Ahmad, who described his fans as Zizou known, challenged. Zizou asked if Roger could continue playing tennis until Zizou himself was old enough to compete against him. Federer then gave his word to his young fan and sealed it with a “pinky promise”. The video recording the promise went viral on YouTube, Barilla writes in a media release.
Today, five years later, Barilla has made good on Federer’s promise and given Zizou “the best day of his life” by pretending he had traveled to Zurich for training purposes, when in reality he was supposed to meet his hero on the pitch. It was not an easy task for everyone involved to have Zizou flown all the way from the USA to Zurich in Switzerland without him finding out what would actually await him in Zurich, the statement said. There was no room for inattention or accidental hints, as the aim of the planned short film “The Promise” was to show an honest, emotional moment between a top athlete and an enthusiastic young fan. Zizou therefore did not know that he would meet Federer until the special and sincere moment of the meeting itself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57RpNFLTAZU
On this special day, Federer and Zizou bond over a friendly match and a well-deserved Barilla pasta meal, chatting for hours about their ambitions and shared passion for tennis. This human and sincere aspect of sharing the love of sport and the values associated with it, clarifies the way Barilla operates globally and develops products that are loved by people all over the world, the food company continues in the press release.
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Zizou is currently ranked No. 1 in the US under 12 age group in both singles and doubles tennis. He trains at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) on Randall’s Island in New York City and is part of the USTA National Player Development Program. A young, ambitious player who we will probably hear a lot more about in the future.
The full short film of «The Promise» can be viewed on Youtube and will be promoted on Barilla social media in Europe and the US from 8 August 2022. (pd/mj)
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