• by Danielle Oster , Yesterday

Ahead of the U.S. Open, Oikos has named one of tennis’ biggest stars as its new global brand ambassador.

Danone’s Oikos brand has entered into a multiyear agreement with five-time Grand Slam winner Carlo Alcaraz as global brand ambassador.

In a release, the brand said it would kick off the partnership with a “social-first reveal timed to U.S. tennis' biggest moment this August,” followed by the release of limited-edition Oikos x Alcaraz kits – featuring select co-branded strength gear.”

The kits include a co-branded tennis bag and hat with Alcaraz's signature, Oikos-branded socks, sweatbands, tennis balls, and a muscle recovery tool. According to a release, they will debut this August, with Oikos giving away five of the kits via a sweepstakes on Instagram.

In statements, the brand and Alcaraz said the tennis phenom’s focus on strength training, and Oikos’ high protein products made the partnership a good fit.

“Strength is an important factor to me, both on and off the court. But it's not just about how I train -- it's about how I fuel my body,” Alcaraz said in a statement.

The partnership also seems to fall in line with Danone’s increased focus on fitness and “functional” ingredients, with a particular emphasis on expanding Oikos’ line of protein beverages in the U.S. In May, the brand introduced Oikos Protein Shakes with a soft launch at Costco stores.

“You may have seen the soft launch of our new shelf-stable protein shake in the U.S. It's obviously early days, but the feedback both from consumers and the trade has been very encouraging,” Danone CEO Antoine de Saint Affrique told investors during a recent earnings call. “It shows the strength of the Oikos brand as a high-quality, trusted protein expert and is also a good indication of our intent to leverage science and capabilities to enter new spaces.”

The latter was exemplified by another recent launch: Oikos Fusion, a lactose-free drink with no added sugar, and 23 grams of protein, marketed to GLP-1 users.