Journalist Julia Mengolini once again found herself at the center of controversy after uttering a phrase that ignited athletes and leaders: “To be a tennis player you have to be stupid,” she said on her program, where she also assured that she herself was “too intelligent to play tennis well.” The statement, presented in an ironic tone, soon multiplied on social networks and generated discomfort in the Argentine tennis environment.
The Argentine Tennis Association (AAT) responded with an official statement in which it described the statements as “offensive and derogatory,” and defended the values of the sport. The organization highlighted that tennis represents effort, discipline and training, and that thousands of players, coaches and families support the activity throughout the country with sacrifice and commitment. “Respect is the basis of sport,” they stressed.
Faced with the reaction, Mengolini defended himself by saying that his words were not a direct insult but a “provocation” about what he considers characteristics of the tennis environment. However, far from lowering the tension, he reiterated that he sees tennis as “a closed world” and maintained that his comment aimed to question a sport historically associated with privileged sectors. Her followers celebrated the ironic gesture, while her detractors accused her of belittling a discipline that gave international prestige to the country.
The exchange added responses from players and fans who denounced “inverted classism” and recalled that Argentine tennis is also supported by neighborhood programs, neighborhood clubs and inclusion projects. The controversy exposed, once again, the impact that comments can have when passing through times of high social sensitivity and immediate amplification. For the AAT, it was an opportunity to vindicate the activity; for Mengolini, a new discursive battle that keeps her on stage.
The host said on air that “to be a tennis player you have to be stupid” and generated strong rejection. The Argentine Tennis Association came out to cross her and she redoubled her bet.
