THE SECOND.- The tennis player Venus Williams will be honored with a doll Barbie along with eight other athletes, as part of a project that Mattel announced on Wednesday.
The other women who will be represented with dolls include two Latin American gymnasts: the Brazilian Rebeca Andrade and the Mexican Alexa Moreno.
There are also two soccer players: the Australian Mary Fowler and the Canadian Christine Sinclair. The others are the French boxer Estelle Mossely; the Italian swimmer Federica Pellegrini; the Spanish Paralympic triathlete Susana Rodríguez; and the Polish sprinter Ewa Swoboda.
“Throughout my career, I have always been motivated by the idea of breaking barriers and staying true to myself, and Barbie's mission could not resonate more deeply with that theme,” said Williams, who has won seven Grand Slam titles.
The toy brand wanted to highlight “the impact of sports in instilling self-confidence, ambition and empowerment in the next generation,” said Krista Berger, vice president of Mattel.
Beyond Venus Williams:
Two-time runner-up Dominic Thiem succumbed on Wednesday in the second round of Roland Garros qualifying, in what was the Austrian's last match at the French Open.
Thiem lost 6-2, 7-5 to Finland's Otto Virtanen on Court Suzanne Lenglen and will be unable to appear for the 11th and final time in the main draw of the Grand Slam on clay.
Thiem, a Roland Garros finalist in 2018 and 2019, announced at the beginning of the month that he will retire at the end of this year after struggling to regain his best form after having wrist surgery.
After his defeat, Thiem received a standing ovation during a farewell ceremony amid the chant “Thank you, Domi.”
Thiem, the 2020 US Open champion, is ranked 131st this week and did not receive an invitation to the French Open.
“I have had an excellent bond with the tournament, a bond with all of you, with all the fans,†Thiem said. “I enjoyed it every year.†.
