NEW YORK — Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu apologized to her sponsor Nike after blaming the brand for a wardrobe malfunction on the track during Monday’s first round.
Andreescu was on the Tribune to play Harmony Tan, but the wind in the open arena kept blowing her skirt up and impacting her shots, forcing the 22-year-old to approach the chair umpire and request an extra toilet break.
“Doesn’t this count as one of my switchovers? I mean, it’s not my fault, it’s Nike’s fault,” she told the referee.
“This dress is so, so bad… I have to go (change), this is really bad.”
Andreescu returned with a white Nike tank top and skirt, eventually beating Tan 6-0 3-6 6-1.
“It just bothered me on some fronts. I just felt like it was coming up a little bit. Obviously the wind wasn’t helping,” she told reporters.
“But I didn’t mean disrespect with what I said to the referee. I tried to convince him not to take that break in the washroom because I know we only get two. He was very nice to say that it was all right.
“I certainly could have used a different word choice. So I apologize to anyone I disrespected. I love Nike and I hope I can spend the rest of my life with them!”
Andreescu then plays in the second round against Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Chantal Da Silva contributed.