In London, Charlie Eccleshare noted tennis player Victoria Azarenka has "reignited the debate around the treatment of pregnant athletes by revealing that she left a sponsor after 'facing a situation that wasn't pleasant' around the time she gave birth to her son" three years ago. While "declining to reveal who the sponsor was," Azarenka stressed that Nike has "always been entirely supportive" (London TELEGRAPH, 7/1).
LONELY AT THE TOP: AD AGE's Alexandra Jardine noted Nike placed a basketball hoop at the top of Mount Olympus in honor of Giannis Antetokounmpo's MVP season. Antetokounmpo also is the "first European player to get a Nike signature basketball shoe." Wieden+Kennedy, Amsterdam, was "behind the stunt," and the agency "captured the event on video, designed to be shared" on social media (ADAGE.com, 7/1).
STAR ASCENDING: PGA of America President Suzy Whaley said that LPGA player Maria Fassi, who just turned pro in May, could be the tour's "next superstar." Whaley said that Fassi, who is from Mexico, can "single-handedly grow the game" among the Latin community. Fassi has not "rushed into sponsorship deals." A deal with Rolex has been "negotiated but everything else has basically been narrowed down to two companies" (GOLFWEEK.com, 6/30).
