The Argentine Tennis Association (AAT) issued a statement expressing its "energetic repudiation" of comments made by journalist Julia Mengolini, who stated that to be a professional in the sport of racquets "you have to be stupid".
The comments from the director of Futurock came in the context of the entry into congress of former player and current deputy Diego Hartfeld, who will represent Misiones for La Libertad Avanza.
In its statement, the AAT "deeply regrets that a communicator chooses to discredit those who practice and love this sport".
A day after the regrettable comments made by Julia Mengolini against professional tennis players, the Argentine Tennis Association issued a statement to support its athletes.
While debating the entry into congress of Diego Hartfeld, a former player who reached a world ranking of 73 and faced Swiss Roger Federer, one of the best players in history, Mengolini began to criticize the intellectual capacity of those who develop professionally in tennis, with only one member of the program showing disagreement with her arguments.
Julia Mengolini stated that "to be a professional tennis player you have to be stupid," assuring that it was not an aggression, but "that's just the way it is." She described it as a "totally encapsulated" sport that takes away "symbolic power and abstraction" from those who practice it, adding that professionals "barely know words."
While one of her colleagues on the program tried to put a stop to it and reminded her that she herself had been an amateur player, the journalist, author of the book "The Faces of the Monster," reiterated that she was "too intelligent to play tennis well."
In the face of such contemptuous comments, the AAT published a statement considering her words to be "offensive, stigmatizing, and contrary to the spirit of respect that should guide public debate."
Furthermore, the association detailed that Argentine tennis trains thousands of children "in values of effort, respect, camaraderie, and self-improvement, without distinction of social class, gender, or origin," highlighting the game as a space "for social ascent, inclusion, and human development" and valuing the daily work of teachers, clubs, leaders, and committed families.
The organization, led by former tennis player Agustín Calleri, proceeded to lament the disqualification made by the communicator, which did not contribute "to a constructive dialogue that promotes participation and equal opportunities," before reaffirming its commitment to the sport being "a bridge and not a barrier," where the diversity of disciplines and thoughts is expressed with respect.
The message was closed with the phrase "tennis is beautiful," a motto that has accompanied the AAT, the Argentine national team, and its current and historical athletes for some years.
