The campaign promotes Novig, a sports prediction platform, and features Sweeney wearing little or no clothing while posing with equipment from sports including tennis, basketball, baseball, football and hockey. The advertisement repeatedly emphasizes Novig’s focus on sports before ending with Sweeney making a provocative reference to her appearance.

The campaign has spread widely online and prompted criticism from athletes in the United States, Australia and Britain.

Four-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Ariarne Titmus described the advertisement as deeply offensive to women who have devoted years to competitive sport. British sprinter Amy Hunt also criticized the campaign after competing at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.

Athletes challenge the campaign’s message

Hunt used a post-race interview to contrast the advertisement’s imagery with the physical demands of elite competition.

After finishing fourth in the women’s 200 meters, she pointed to the winning time and the athletic performance behind it before saying, in reference to Sweeney’s campaign, that this is what women in sport look like.

Titmus was similarly direct. She argued that sexualizing women’s sport diminishes the dedication, teamwork and competitive achievement that athletes say they have spent years establishing.

Other athletes, including former U.S. gymnast Gracie Kramer, Australian hockey player Joc Bartram and Olympic athletes Lani Pallister and Tilly Kearns, also criticized the campaign.

Their objections center less on Sweeney’s decision to appear in a provocative advertisement than on the use of women’s sports as the setting for sexualized marketing.

Sweeney appears to respond

Sweeney has not issued a detailed public statement addressing the athletes’ criticism. Instead, she appeared to respond on Instagram by sharing images from ESPN’s Body Issue, which has featured nude or partially nude portraits of elite male and female athletes.

The apparent response points to a broader question in the controversy: whether sexualized imagery involving athletes can be presented as an expression of confidence and athletic identity, or whether the commercial use of such imagery reinforces the objectification that female athletes have spent years challenging.

The Novig campaign was released as the company seeks to establish its sports-prediction business. Sweeney is also an investor in the company, giving her a financial interest in the campaign beyond her role as its featured performer.

Novig has defended the campaign’s creative approach, describing it as a playful concept designed to focus attention on sports.

The controversy has nevertheless shifted much of the public discussion away from the company’s product and toward the way women and women’s sports are represented in advertising.

For the athletes criticizing the campaign, that distinction matters. Women’s sports have gained wider audiences, sponsorships and commercial attention in recent years, and they argue that marketing should reinforce athletic achievement rather than return to imagery that places women’s bodies at the center of the story.

The debate is likely to continue as the advertisement circulates online, but the immediate backlash has made one issue clear: the growing commercial value of women’s sports is also intensifying scrutiny of how female athletes are portrayed when brands seek attention.

Reporting Credit: Novig — campaign and company information; athlete statements and public posts — reactions from Ariarne Titmus, Amy Hunt, Gracie Kramer and other athletes; ESPN — background on its Body Issue featuring professional athletes.

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Date: Saturday, June 8
Time: 14:00 BST
Venue: Court Philippe Chatrier, Roland Garros

For the first time in seven years, the world’s top two women’s tennis players will battle it out in a Grand Slam final—and it’s all going down in Paris.

Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka will face off in the 2025 French Open women’s singles final, both eyeing their first-ever Roland Garros crown and a whopping €2.5 million (£2.1 million) in prize money, plus 2,000 ranking points.

A Rivalry Ready for a New Chapter

Their head-to-head is dead even: five wins each from ten previous matchups. They’ve split major wins too—Gauff beat Sabalenka in last year’s US Open final, while Sabalenka got her revenge in the 2024 Australian Open semi-final. On clay, it’s one apiece again, but Sabalenka holds the recent upper hand with a dominant victory in the Madrid final this May.

With both women dropping just one set en route to Saturday’s final, fans can expect an electrifying showdown that could easily go the distance.

Coco Gauff: Young, Hungry, and Historic

At just 21, Coco Gauff is rewriting records. Already a Grand Slam champion from her 2023 US Open win, she’s now the youngest woman to reach the finals at Madrid, Rome, and the French Open all in the same season.

Her path to the final included a composed win over French wildcard Lois Boisson, despite a partisan crowd. And now, Gauff finds herself back in the Roland Garros final—three years after finishing runner-up here.

She knows the challenge ahead.

“She’s going to come out aggressive, she’s going to come out swinging,” Gauff said of Sabalenka.
“I think I just have to expect that and do my best to kind of counter that.
Anything can happen on Saturday. I’m looking forward to it.”

Gauff’s serve consistency and ability to extend rallies will be key, especially as she leads the tournament in break point conversions (40).

Aryna Sabalenka: The Powerhouse Chasing Clay Glory

While Sabalenka has already captured three major titles, all have come on hard courts. Clay has never been her comfort zone—until now.

In the semis, she stunned four-time champion Iga Swiatek, snapping the Pole’s 26-match winning streak in Paris and proving she’s not just a power player, but a strategic threat on any surface.

This is Sabalenka’s third consecutive Grand Slam final, a feat not achieved since Serena Williams in 2016. She’s been on fire this season, reaching seven finals in ten tournaments and racking up 40 wins in 46 matches—the most on tour.

“It’s going to mean everything to me and my team,” Sabalenka said when asked about possibly winning her first French Open title.
“Almost my whole life I’ve been told clay is not my thing. If I’m able to get this trophy, it’s going to mean the world to us.”

What to Expect on Court

• Sabalenka’s game plan: Come out swinging, keep rallies short, and dominate with her explosive hitting.
• Gauff’s strategy: Defend deep, extend rallies, and stay solid on serve.
• The wildcard: Both players have shown they can handle pressure and adapt—who executes better on the day could make all the difference.

Bonus Action: British Eyes on the Men’s Doubles Final

Later on Saturday, it’s a big day for British tennis too. Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski team up to take on Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the men’s doubles final.

One final. Two stars. Everything on the line.
Paris is ready—are you?

Source: BBC – Gauff and Sabalenka face off in French Open final

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President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday aimed at banning transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. The order, titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” directs federal agencies to enforce Title IX based on gender assigned at birth, reinforcing the administration’s stance on the issue.

Key Points of Trump’s Executive Order

Bans transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports in schools and federally funded institutions.
Empowers the Education Department to penalize schools that do not comply.
Directs federal agencies to enforce single-sex sports and locker rooms.
Warns the International Olympic Committee (IOC) about the U.S. stance on transgender participation.
Restricts visas for transgender athletes trying to compete in the U.S.

During the signing ceremony in the White House’s East Room, Trump declared:

“With this executive order, the war on women’s sports is over.”

Among those present were lawmakers and female athletes who have advocated for restrictions on transgender participation, including former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines.

Title IX & Federal Funding at the Center of Debate

The order reinforces Title IX, the law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs. Under Trump’s directive, schools that allow transgender athletes to compete in female sports could lose federal funding.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said:

“This order upholds the promise of Title IX and will require immediate enforcement actions against schools that violate it.”

The administration has already begun investigations into schools. Denver public schools are currently under review for replacing a girls’ bathroom with an all-gender restroom while maintaining a boys-only facility.

Impact on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

Trump also warned the International Olympic Committee (IOC) about the U.S. stance on transgender athletes ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

“America categorically rejects transgender lunacy. We want the IOC to change its policies.”

He further announced that Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem would deny visas to transgender athletes attempting to compete in the Games.

The IOC has historically deferred decisions on transgender participation to individual sports federations, but that could change under new leadership. Sebastian Coe, a strong advocate for limiting female sports to cisgender women, is a leading candidate to replace current IOC president Thomas Bach in March.

Legal Challenges & Backlash

Trump’s executive order is the latest in a series of policies targeting transgender rights, including:

Proposed bans on gender-affirming care for transgender minors.
Restrictions on teaching gender identity in schools.
Barring transgender individuals from serving in the military.

The order has sparked immediate backlash from civil rights groups and LGBTQ+ advocates.

Fatima Goss Graves, CEO of the National Women’s Law Center, stated:

“Trans students do not pose threats to sports, schools, or this country. They deserve the same opportunities as their peers.”

Organizations such as GLAAD and the National Women’s Law Center have condemned the order, while civil rights lawyers are preparing legal challenges, arguing that Trump may have overstepped presidential authority.

NCAA & Ongoing Legal Battles

The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) has announced that its Board of Governors is reviewing the order to determine its next steps.

NCAA President Charlie Baker responded:

“We will take necessary steps to align NCAA policy, subject to further guidance from the administration.”

The order also comes just one day after former teammates of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, Ivy League, Harvard, and the University of Pennsylvania, claiming that allowing Thomas to compete violated Title IX.

What’s Next?

With legal battles expected, the fight over transgender participation in sports is far from over. As states pass their own laws on the issue, the NCAA, IOC, and federal courts will play key roles in determining how this policy unfolds.

What do you think about this executive order? Share your thoughts below!

Source

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President-elect Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he plans to take executive action to prohibit transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.

“We will keep men out of women’s sports,” Trump declared during a campaign-style rally in Washington, emphasizing his stance on protecting the integrity of women’s sports competitions.

Transgender rights have become a prominent and divisive issue in U.S. politics. Republicans nationwide have made transgender participation in school sports a focal point of their campaigns, particularly during the November elections. The debate often centers around the inclusion of transgender women in women’s sports and the perceived impact on fairness and competition.

Trump’s Campaign Promises:

During his campaign, Trump pledged to:

1. Restrict gender-affirming care.
2. Implement policies to prevent transgender women from participating in women’s sports at all levels, including schools and professional leagues.

Broader Implications:

The proposed action highlights the ongoing political and cultural debate over transgender rights and inclusion. Critics argue that such measures discriminate against transgender individuals, while supporters claim they are necessary to preserve fairness in competitive sports.

Conclusion:

Trump’s announcement reflects his administration’s broader stance on transgender issues, signaling a continuation of Republican-led efforts to address the topic through legislation and executive action. The move is likely to fuel further national debate on the balance between inclusion and fairness in athletics.

Source

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