Swiatek and Lancôme exclusive: "It is Hollywood-like territory", as Nadal fights for Paris

FEATURE 1 OF THE DAY 
“I wasn’t sure to fit in, but…” Swiatek and her team made waves by inking that Lancôme deal #Exclusive

Iga Swiatek, luxury beauty brand icon. We didn’t have that on her 2024 season tennis board but the World No.1 proves once again that she’s not going to be confined to any sports mold.

She’s the best player in the world, a bookworm, a Lego fan, and now one of the faces of Lancôme like Zendaya. I asked Iga Swiatek in Madrid during her media availability if landing that type of high-profile deal was ever among her professional dreams along with winning Grand Slam titles and being the World No.1.

“Honestly, it wasn’t”, she smiled. “I’m really grateful they saw potential in me because obviously, I’m not the kind of person who wears makeup every day. I wasn’t sure to fit in, but we talked it through and I think it’s a great partner to have so I’m really grateful they wanted to collaborate. It wasn’t my specific goal because I never thought it was going to be possible for me but I actually felt really good at the shoot that we did. So maybe I’m ready for this kind of stuff!”

That start of the collaboration with the luxury brand even helped her get over her loss in the third round of the Australian Open. “We did the shoot after Australia, and I was feeling very sad and unmotivated, but when I was doing the shoot, and even though it had nothing to do with sport, it gave me the perspective that it’s worth it to work hard if you get opportunities like that. It was really fun and pretty crazy as well.”

I asked Alina Sikora, Iga Swiatek’s partnership manager, about that Lancôme deal that is having the tennis world talking.

A tennis player signing with Lancôme is a huge deal for the sport. It's "Hollywood-like territory” even, so how did that happen?
It is Hollywood-like territory, and everything started on the set. We’ve noticed that Iga enjoyed her preparation rituals like the make-up and the styling more and more from one set to another. It was a very natural and spontaneous process. Iga began feeling comfortable wearing makeup and fashionable clothes and gave us the green light to look for a beauty brand as a partner and then I started searching for a partnership that aligned with our values. Training and sports performance remain the most important, so with Lancôme we will manifest Iga's strength emanating from her individuality at a pace and scale that allows her to remain authentic. Our partnerships are based on shared values and a common commitment to important social matters. That is our direction.

For years, it was unfairly said that players from certain countries would never get these brand deals, whatever their results. Iga is breaking a ceiling here in a way…
I have never been afraid of such limitations. This is the historical truth that no longer refers to modern times, at least in the context of Poland. This has never been my perspective, we always think about possibilities, not limitations. Especially when we have her talent, personality, hard work, and amazing achievements.

The deal includes a specific set of actions aimed at women in Poland, can you let us know a bit more about it?
This is a global Lancôme program already present in 25 countries and implemented in cooperation with local markets. This year Lancôme will also launch it in Poland under the slogan "Be the author of your future". The aim of the program is to support women in the early stages of their careers and equalize their access opportunities. Iga's role in the program will be to promote its ideas, so women can learn about initiatives that are valuable and can improve their skills, acquire new ones, or establish relationships that will benefit them professionally. Iga will also certainly engage in educational and awareness-raising activities in areas related to the development of young women's professional careers.

Was there maybe a scare at some point of exposing Iga too much, as we know the efforts put by her team to avoid overwhelming her with outside activities?
We know Iga and we consciously oversee how much time we have at her disposal and how to create and communicate partnerships to not overwhelm Iga. This cooperation is very much tailored to the expectations of both, Iga and Lancôme. We met at the point where this brand, and other brands we work with, share common values with Iga and the approach to her career where her sports performance and work as an athlete is an absolute priority and the foundation of it all.

LIVE FROM MADRID 
“I will not play in Paris if I am the way I am now", Nadal

The interview room was so full that some could not even go through the door. That was the Rafael Nadal effect in Madrid on Wednesday when he showed up at around 2 pm for his pre-tournament press conference. For what should be his last time playing at the Mutua Madrid Open, Nadal couldn’t unfortunately give the best news.

Maybe we were all in denial after his week in Barcelona, thinking that there would be nothing to worry about too much until after Roland-Garros. Didn’t he say he’d be ready to die on the court in Paris? But after a few minutes of him answering questions, it became clear that a setback had happened and that there was now a real doubt about Nadal being able to play at Roland-Garros.

“I will not play in Paris if I am the way I am now”, he said. “If Paris were today, I wouldn’t take to the court.” He will only keep his name in the draw if he feels he is “capable enough to compete well.” Rafa didn’t look sad or angry and that fate, just aware that the end of the tennis road was near. And that he would not go to Roland-Garros to just go to Roland-Garros. His legacy in Paris deserves to be able to compete but, for now, the physical limitations are too big for his usual ambitions on clay.

“I don’t lose hope, I just accept the situation that I have today. But I went through a lot of things the last two years so the body isn’t good enough to play free enough. That’s not allowing me to compete the way I would like to compete. (…) In this sport, I say it plenty of times, but that’s true. Things can change very quickly. If I am not there to try that change, for sure a change will not happen. So I am here, giving myself a chance.” He has his family here in Madrid with him, including his son who was walking around the players’ area with a mini racquet, looking as energetic as his famous dad.

So now, the race against the clock is ticking even louder. “I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next three weeks. I will keep fighting and doing the things I believe I have to do so I can try to play in Paris, and if I can play, I play, if I can’t, I can’t.” He still decided to play Madrid, even if he’s not 100%. “It’s important for me to play one last time here in Madrid, for me it means a lot. A few weeks ago, I didn't know if I would be able to play again on the professional tour, so today I am playing. It's not perfect, but at least I am playing and I can enjoy again, especially in the few tournaments that are so emotional for me. I'm able to enjoy the fact that I can say probably goodbye on the court.” That’s the very least that his career deserves.

LATEST NEWS 
So here’s the premium tour plan?

• According to The Athletic, here’s what the four Grand Slams proposed to the field during meetings in London last week and again this week in Madrid: doubling the men’s prize money, nearly quadrupling the women’s one, equal pay for men and women at all the events, 14 events a year, and six to eight weeks of off-season. All these changes would be financed by a portion of their media rights. How will the ATP and the WTA react to that? More importantly, how does the sport avoid an internal battle that will serve absolutely nobody? As often in professional sports, the answer might be found by following the money. Except in this case, it’s like: “But which money? The Grand Slam’s money or Saudi Arabia’s money?” One thing is sure, everybody has made the trip to Madrid, including Australian Open’s boss Craig Tiley.
  

• Boris Becker is doing all he can to convince the UK to let him back in. As of now, due to his sentencing, he’s not allowed in the UK until October. He aims for a 2025 return to work at Wimbledon. “Wimbledon has been my favourite tournament as a player, coach and commentator,” Becker said. “It’s unique, you can’t compare it. I lived in Wimbledon a long time so I’m working hard with the authorities to have all the applications ready to be back for next year. We’re working on 2025. It’s a part of my life. It’s in my DNA, you can’t deny that.”
  

• Djokovic won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award for the fifth time, equalling Roger Federer. He also said he would soon decide what to do with his coaching situation: “I’m not rushing. I feel like playing tennis over 20 years and having a lot of different teams and coaches, it’s not like I think I don’t need a coach at all. I think there’s always value in having that quality team and fitness coach, physio, mental coach. It’s all important. It creates a formula for success and helps you perform better, train better, recover better. Stay on the top for as long as you can. But I think I’m at the stage of my career where I can afford to maybe think having no coach is also an option. Let’s see. I’m going to make my decision soon.”
  Rafael Nadal’s foundation was also celebrated, winning the Laureus Sport For Good award.

BUSINESS / MEDIA 
Gauff on her Carol’s daughter deal: “It was just so inspiring”

Coco Gauff is now sponsored by the natural hair care brand Carol’s daughter and I got to ask her in Madrid why she decided to enter the beauty industry. Carol’s daughter was founded by Lisa Price in 1993 and was acquired by L’Oréal in 2014. By the way, L’Oréal also owns Lancôme who just signed with Iga Swiatek. When I keep telling you the luxury brands are all over tennis players.

“Signing with Carol’s daughter made sense because I always wanted it to be with a natural hair company. I feel it’s very important to promote it, especially in tennis because there are not that many black female players. It’s another way we can get young black women to enter the sport. Carol’s daughter being founded by Lisa Price and the fact she named her company after her mom… It just felt very similar to my story and how close I am to my family. I got to talk to her on the phone, she told me how she literally started her company in her kitchen and I thought it was just so inspiring, even though it’s owned by a bigger company now. She’s still very much involved as a founder.” 

Also, look at Gauff on the cover of Time!

For the gamers out there: the official video game of the ATP and the WTA should be released soon. Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff are on the cover art. Another one, Top Spin 2K25 is already out. It’s been a decade of nothing and suddenly they all pop up again.

OLYMPICS 
Tennis Bottlegate

Roland-Garros won’t have those plastic bottles, thank you very much. Olympics or no Olympics. It is France, people, so every rule finds an exception: Paris 2024 had allowed plastic bottles to be given to competitors on-site, but Roland-Garros put its clay foot down and said oh absolutely not.

The French federation has been in a battle against those plastic bottles for years and has a whole system in place to do without them so they put up a polite fight and won, as reported by the French newspaper L’Equipe. There will be no plastic bottles at Roland-Garros for the tennis tournament, as players will keep their good habits of using reusable water bottles. But, wait for it, plastic bottles will be tolerated for the boxing tournament also set at Roland-Garros. Don’t ask me, it makes sense in French… I guess…

TENNIS ON THE BIG SCREEN 
No more Netflix, but tennis got Zendaya

The irony of it all, really. Tennis got the boot from Netflix after two seasons, but the sport has been everywhere since then, from luxury fashion to social media trends of the “tennis core wardrobe” also adopted by brands like Alo Yoga, to beauty brands, and now to Hollywood. Hollywood. There is no way you’ve missed the news but, in case, here we go: tomorrow April 26th, the movie Challengers with Zendaya, and directed by Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name), will be released. And, as many reviews seem to say, it might be the best tennis movie done yet.

Zendaya, who also serves as a producer on the film, has been promoting it everywhere for the past month. Turning the promotion into a gigantic fashion event in the process. But Zendaya’s biggest stress might have come away from the camera when she had to listen to Serena Williams giving her feedback on the movie. Relief? Serena overall praised the movie and Zendaya’s work. Cringe? Serena wasn’t fooled by that CGI. “She was like, 'I know there definitely weren't real [tennis] balls. "She knows. She's the best of the best."

Brad Gilbert, who coached Zendaya and the rest of the cast for the movie, attended the Los Angeles premiere. Instead of being with Coco Gauff in Stuttgart. Drama? None. Gauff was quick to say she told him to take a break before they reunite for the lead to Roland-Garros. She also had that great quote in Stuttgart about Gilbert’s take on Challengers.

“Brad said the movie was a little out there for a 60-year-old man with the threesome and everything like that. He did say that. But he said I just wanted to focus on the tennis and not the storyline, but for me, I love that type of stuff. I love the drama, and I love the love triangles. I love all of that. So I'm really excited to see it. I literally have it on my list of movies I'm going to go to see in Europe. As soon as it releases, if I'm not playing a match, I'm going to go.”

EDITOR’S PICKS 

• Your under eyes will thank you. This year the day after I landed in Doha for the WTA and ATP tournaments, my eyes were yelling sleepless travel era, so I went to the mall and fell on this: the SNP dual pop comfort eye patches. I specifically asked for something suited to sensitive skin. They were and still are amazing: it’s like 20 to 40 minutes of eye detox, you end up refreshed and those under-eyes are ready to be seen by the outside world. In the same brand, you got these too.
  

• Longevity vacation, anyone? It looks a little like sci-fi but apparently, it’s the new trend for the people who can afford to follow it. Wellness travel is no longer your spa retreat, it now involves $1,200 ozone therapy or a $1,800 early-detection cancer test. You don’t only travel to take a break and have fun, you also go to optimize your health.
  
  The WSJ explains that some high-end resorts now offer biological age testing, poolside vitamin IV drips, and stem-cell therapy. Yoga and massages are suddenly so passé. Doctors are already preaching caution regarding possible infection, contamination, and drug interactions.