WTA veteran Sorana Cirstea dropped a bombshell revelation this week when she accused Adidas of sexism: “When I signed a contract with Adidas, they told me, ‘It’s better to be pretty and be in the top 20 than to be ugly and to be No. 1.”
Cirstea never reached the top 20 of the WTA during her decade long association with Adidas.
This quote by Cirstea about Adidas contradicts the equality themes the tennis establishment constantly promotes and it also implies Adidas is guilty of sexism and objectifying female tennis players. Billie Jean King has not yet issued any press release or comments about this Cirstea controversy involving Adidas.
The 32 year old Romanian was sponsored by Adidas from 2006-2016 and has since endorsed New Balance attire and shoes.
Cirstea has won two career WTA singles titles and reached a career high ranking of no. 21 in 2013. Her best Grand Slam result was quarterfinals at Roland Garros in 2009.
Here is the Biofile interview I did with Sorana Cirstea
adidas · New Balance · Sorana Cirstea
Sam · November 2, 2022 at 12:31 am
When I signed a contract with Adidas, they told me, ‘It’s better to be pretty and be in the top 20 than to be ugly and to be No. 1.
I mean, is this really a surprise? 😉
Adidas should’ve never said that, of course, but pretty much everybody knows this is how sponsors operate. Sad . . . but reality.
The goals of sponsors is to make MONEY. And sexy female players rake it in—just ask Anna Kournikova. Is this how things should be? No. But it’s basically how things have always been.
Unless you’re Serena or Venus Williams. Then it’s only your skin color that matters. 😛
Sometimes your ethnicity can play a part too. For instance, back in 1992, Kristi Yamaguchi won the gold medal for figure skating, but Nancy Kerrigan, the bronze medalist, apparently got more endorsements because she seemed more “American.” 🇺🇸 It may not be “fair,” but that’s life, I guess.
Sam · November 2, 2022 at 1:26 am
Scoop, did you hear what Cirstea also said about Serena?? Of course, you know what I believe about Serena’s actual gender, but on the women’s tour at least, is this kind of behavior typical? 🤔
Here’s the quote:
Serena used to intimidate me a lot, she was trained to do that, to intimidate you in the locker room. First of all Serena didn’t want to talk to anyone in the locker room, to any other player, even though we had a shared locker room.
It’s a little strange at first when you see someone on TV and then you get to play against them. In the locker room she didn’t talk to anyone and she had an aura that intimidated you.
Scoop Malinowski · November 2, 2022 at 8:07 am
Indeed how it is Sam but it’s contrary to what BJK preaches about equality and she should be on this fighting for the less attractive talented women out there. Frankly I’m not sure the general population really likes BJK or if she’s another installed puppet hero the establishment rams down the public’s throat. Frankly not sure BJK is really a good ambassador for the sport. I like Cirstea’s blunt honest, she is the first player I can think of to tell the truth about Serena, maybe more will step up and risk being called racist or blasphemists.
catherine · November 2, 2022 at 10:08 am
Great champions have auras that intimidate – in all fields. That’s why they win.
Steffi Graf had it as a teenager and a mature player and then retired when she sensed that quality was fading.
Serena no longer intimidates.
Scoop – you seem to be very bothered by BJK.I’m pretty sure she’d laugh at the idea that she’s a ‘puppet’ or has been ‘installed’ by any kind of establishment when she has spent much of her life in conflict with those things. Now nearly 80 (she won 3 GSs in the 60s and 3 in the 70s) she certainly intimidated in her prime. Think boxing.
I interviewed her once. Away from the spotlight she was quiet, modest and quite open about the personal difficulties she’d gone through at various times. Not perfect, no – but who is ? Along with Navratilova she was the greatest S/V player ever in the women’s game. I think she saw herself as a kind of artist.
Turbulent times the 60s and 70s. Women have it pretty good now.
catherine · November 2, 2022 at 10:12 am
Correction – BJ won 6 Wimbledons, as an amateur and pro player, in the 60s and 70s.
Scoop Malinowski · November 2, 2022 at 12:44 pm
Catherine, Steffi, pardon, Stefanie, retired from tennis due to constant back injury, not because she didn’t intimidate her rivals anymore. Or that was the progaganda, Graf was beset by nagging injuries. Serena can’t move anymore or play seven tough matches over two weeks. But she can still fight like a Fisher cat who hasn’t had a meal in a week. I like King, we did a great Biofile years ago, here it is… https://www.tennis-prose.com/bios/biofile-billie-jean-king-interview/
King, like all icons, are installed because they serve a purpose. She represents equality, equal pay, homosexuality, gay rights, anti white male, anti family politics. She did not deserve to have the USTA National Tennis Center named after her, Connors, McEnroe, Kramer or Budge deserved that honor more than her. But she reps the political agendas the establishment wants promoted and pushed. I don’t support her hypocrisy on equality or not supporting or helping Djokovic this year when he needed support from important tennis figures she stayed silent but took selfies with him at Wimbledon. She also sold out to be sponsored by moderna during us open. No one is perfect and she is a great ambassador for sport. Also didn’t like how she claimed Ashe changed his view on equal prize money but there is no documented evidence of that not even in his book Days of Grace which she wrote an intro to. That’s a horrible lie to do that to Ashe.
catherine · November 2, 2022 at 3:27 pm
Which view did BJ claim Ashe changed ? Arthur’s first reaction to the original equal pay demand was that it shouldn’t happen. A lot of women players were surprised and hurt by his attitude. I can quote his comment but you probably know it.
It’s possible he may have changed his mind later and talked to BJ about the issue in conversation. Ashe changed his views on several political issues in the 70s, but it’s all a very long time ago and hardly worth digging up again.
There was a lot of bad feeling and conflict between so-called ‘women’s liberation’ and prominent men in the 70s and some of it reached remarkable levels of unpleasantness. This was particularly true in tennis and it took until around the mid-80s to settle down. Having a strong and independent women’s circuit helped here.
Scoop Malinowski · November 2, 2022 at 6:58 pm
Catherine Bjk claimed Ashe reversed his stance on equal prize money and supported it but there’s no documented proof of that. Even in his book Days of Grace there is no mention of it and Bjk, who wrote an intro to the book also did not mention it. SO when did he supposedly change his view? After he died? Bjk probably fabricated it. Feminism is a bad creation with ulterior motives and agendas.
Scoop Malinowski · November 2, 2022 at 6:59 pm
I believe every male player is against equal prize money, even McEnroe was against it but he and others don’t dare say it now for they will be attacked viciously by the left media.
catherine · November 3, 2022 at 4:41 am
Scoop – please try to remember that I’m a woman, and to me ‘feminism’ just means society needs to recognise we’re all human beings with parts to play. And you can’t just accuse people of having ‘ulterior motives and agendas’ and leave it like that. It’s insulting.
Equal prize money: If prize money comes from separate pots for men and women then I can’t see why men should be worried, or, frankly, why it’s any of their business.
Scoop Malinowski · November 3, 2022 at 8:08 am
Catherine, enough about feminism and it’s purpose. Moutet with a thriller 3 am win vs Norrie. Moutet was supposedly booted by the French Federation this week due to “bad behavior.” Rune also beat Hurkacz. Nadal lost to Paul, Rafa may be finished? de Minaur beat Medvedev. Simon beat Fritz. Big day in tennis.
Matt Segel · November 3, 2022 at 11:19 am
Its kind of childish that this is a story. Of course marketing people like attractive women…and men. Why does zverev have every endorsement deal and not medvedev? Before the “invasion” of course. Why do attractive people have attractive spouses. I mean come on!
Scoop Malinowski · November 3, 2022 at 11:48 am
Matt, well said, you just proved “equality” is a sham. The whole essence of competition is to prove inequality… to determine who is better, smarter, stronger, fitter.