Bianca Andreescu gives Nike a dressing down at US Open before issuing apology
Bianca Andreescu, the No. 1-ranked player on the women’s tennis tour, was widely condemned for her actions during Saturday’s US Open final. On Monday, she issued an apology.
After holding court during Sunday night’s U.S. Open final with her mother, Bianca Andreescu was called out on Twitter and in the media for her choice of tennis shoes — she wore them during her semifinal win over Angelique Kerber, her nemesis at the event.
After Sunday night’s final, the No. 1-ranked player on the women’s tennis tour appeared to make a public apology to her opponent, the No. 7 seed Kerber. Andreescu didn’t directly address the media or answer questions from reporters.
The backlash hit quickly. In a tweet posted on Monday, Andreescu responded to her critics: “Good day, today is a good day. Please don’t criticize me.”
She then went on to thank her mother for her love and support.
By Monday afternoon, her apology was out.
“I want to apologize to Angelique for my shoes,” she wrote. “I was so excited for this match, and it was my first time at this tournament since March 2017. Unfortunately, after losing my balance on the court, I slid, and my right shoe caught on a chair during my walk to the chair. I slipped and fell on top of the chair, and my right leg landed in Angelique’s. As a result of this, I did not wear my right shoe during the match, but I will change to my left shoe in the future.”
Andreescu was not the only athlete to be involved. Kerber posted a message to her Twitter account on Monday responding to all the criticism.
“No excuses, that was completely out of line and I am sorry,” the No. 7-seeded Kerber wrote. “It was bad sportsmanship and I really want to apologize to all of my fans who wanted me to serve a bit harder, the umpires were doing their job too.”
On Sunday night, Andreescu held court with her mother and sister Bianka. After the final victory,