The tennis player João Fonseca It is worn by a company that is still seeking a greater reach within the Brazilian market. He is sponsored by the brand On Runninga Swiss company that has former tennis player Roger Federer, also Swiss, as one of the shareholders.
In just over a decade, On Running went from being a small initiative of running enthusiasts in Zurich to becoming one of the most talked about brands in the global sports sector.
On Running: brand history
Founded in 2010 by former Swiss triathlete Olivier Bernhard, the company was born with a clear ambition: to create a shoe capable of offering the perfect running sensation. What began as an engineering experiment applied to sport quickly gained scale and, little by little, became a global movement.
The brand found its turning point when it decided to combine technological innovation with a marketing strategy similar to the one that, in the 1980s, catapulted Nike to stardom. Just like the Americans did when betting on the then promising Michael Jordan, On looked for a sports icon that could increase its global visibility. That name was Roger Federer. In 2019, already off the court, the Swiss decided to become more than an ambassador: he became an investor, participates in product development and today holds 3% of the company.
Federer, who spent two decades under contract with Nike, saw his countryman On as a chance to directly influence a growing sports brand – and not just be the face of advertising campaigns. The arrival of the former tennis player also attracted the interest of global investors, including Brazilians such as Marc Lemann (currently with 5.6% of the company) and Carlos Alberto Sicupira (6.2%), historical partners in the construction of giants such as Ambev.
With this set of talents – Bernhard’s innovation, Federer’s vision and strategic capital from large investors – On began a trajectory of accelerated growth. The company advances at around 30% per year, taking an aggressive stance with highly technological products, bold marketing and continuous investment in young sports talents.
Globally, On is estimated to have 2% of the sports footwear market. In 2019, the company already held 40% of the running footwear market in Switzerland and 10% in Germany. In the United States, the number is 6.6%.
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At the heart of On Running’s innovations is the CloudTec system, a technology based on “clouds” – small spaces in the sole that provide differentiated cushioning and softer landings. Each pair is assembled with just seven components, in a robotic process that takes around three minutes. THE The New York Times He even called On “the Tesla of sneakers” for its combination of innovative design, advanced engineering and bold positioning.
And just as Nike shaped its empire alongside Jordan, On is now investing in the next generation of idols. One of the main names in this new phase is João Fonseca. The brand only started sponsoring tennis players in 2023 and, right from the start, signed the Brazilian.
At the time, an On spokesperson explained that the company “was keeping an eye on emerging talents on the youth circuit” – and Fonseca fit that profile perfectly. Since then, in addition to dressing the athlete in international tournaments, On has chosen him as a key figure to accelerate its expansion in Brazil. Currently, its products – sneakers, clothes and accessories – are already present in more than 200 sporting goods stores in the country.
The plan now is to open its own stores nationwide, a move with no set date yet, but treated internally as the next natural step.
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