Bianca Andreescu gives Nike a dressing down at US Open before issuing apology
Bianca Andreescu has admitted that she made an “idiotic” mistake and apologised to the company responsible for offending her in what she says was an “outrageous” public statement.
Lapierre, which has seen Andreescu and her family’s net worth soar ahead of the world number two, issued an emotional apology to the Italian shoe brand after she made a statement on Monday that was described by the company as “disrespectful, divisive and downright offensive”.
It was announced on Tuesday that the company’s response to Andreescu’s statement had been “taken down”, though its Twitter account was still set to the original post.
The Italian tennis star, ranked 13th in the world, said the public statement was “an outrageous attack” and an “offence to me as an individual”. She added that she had received only a one-star rating by Nike in terms of her image.
Nike is no stranger to controversy, especially for female athletes, after the brand was widely criticised for a “welp” sticker featuring Serena Williams and her then boyfriend, Tommy John.
But in a message on Instagram to her fans, Andreescu said: “I’m sorry to you all, all of you who were offended. Words are not that strong words. This was an utter mistake on my part. I am very, very sorry.
“It was a misunderstanding of my emotions. That’s all.”
Bianca Andreescu has apologised for her public stance on Nike’s Instagram post
Following the controversy, she was subjected on Instagram to a barrage of comments by fans, with some calling out and criticising the company for its swiftness to re-post the post after Andreescu’s initial statements.
Andreescu, who is a vocal supporter
