Bianca Andreescu gives Nike a dressing down at US Open before issuing apology: ”I love everything about Nike,” she said.
The outspoken former world No. 1 tennis player has been on a collision course for nearly a decade with the world’s largest sporting goods company, which recently took control of her signature shoe brand and her lucrative endorsement contract.
On Saturday night Andreescu made headlines again as she was jeered by a group of fans in the New Jersey crowd as she attempted to take the court during the US Open.
It is the latest in a series of incidents during her tumultuous career that has led to a sharp fall from grace at the most prestigious tennis tournaments.
Andreescu’s relationship with Nike was an open sore in her past, as she was accused of selling her endorsement deals to a Chinese company, resulting in her early retirement from tennis in 2003.
After retiring from competitive tennis in 2004, Andreescu went on to be a three-time loser to Serena Williams at Wimbledon, and she has since been embroiled in various legal disputes with her former sponsors.
She has spent years trying to get the word out to the public, arguing that Nike is not a charity and is just using Andreescu as an excuse to shut her out.
“I have fought hard to get back my endorsement money,” Andreescu told the Daily Mail newspaper in a recent interview. “I think Nike is doing a great job to keep sponsorships. A lot of young tennis players have been following me for a long time.
“My dream is to be in the Top 10 in the world. The goal is to be No. 1 and make a lot of money. I am not going to sell that to Nike. I love everything about Nike and their employees.
“I am only fighting for my rights. I was a No. 1 player with Nike. I have been fighting for them for 20 years.”
But even with a new partnership with Nike on the horizon, Andreescu has no regrets over her decision to become a Nike endorser.
“I love everything about Nike,” she said. “It’s amazing what they do. They are my champions.”
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