The Barbie mania is in no rush to die down anytime soon. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, has been the smash hit of this season. The world of tennis is not immune to Barbie fever either, as fans have cast their favorite players in the titular roles.
The iconic toy from Mattel went from children’s shelves to the big screen, and moviegoers cannot get enough. Tennis players, too, have found themselves in the midst of this frenzy.
Recently, a few tennis players were asked who they could cast in the roles of Barbie and Ken from among their peers. The answers were varied, and it was hilarious to see how seriously the players took the question.
Alexa, play “Barbie Girl” 🎶
Which @atptour & @WTA players would you cast as Barbie and Ken?#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/1aFcT22T3N
— Mubadala Citi DC Open (@mubadalacitidc) August 3, 2023
Young Coco Gauff thinks Paula Badosa is perfect for the role of Barbie. “They say that Margot Robbie is a stereotypical Barbie. So the stereotypical Barbie I would say is Paula Badosa. She has the Barbie look.”
Casper Ruud seemed to be the leading favorite for the role of Ken. Latest tennis sensation Chris Eubanks’ answer was obvious, “Casper Ruud. He looks like Ryan Gosling!”
The Barbie movie is minting cash as well as winning hearts. The marketing team has done exceptionally well to promote the film, generating buzz, and roping in new fans.
Tennis stars hop on the Barbie bandwagon
Barbie fever has crossed realms. The craze is no longer just limited to just moviegoers though, as tennis fans are hopping on the train to Barbieland.
The latest tennis star to join this trend is none other than Elina Svitolina. Svitolina, who has been winning hearts since her return to tennis, shared photos of herself decked out in pink. She captioned her post “Hopping on a trend #Barbie.”
Hopping on a trend #Barbie pic.twitter.com/JlVTpQmqkJ
— Elina Monfils (@ElinaSvitolina) July 28, 2023
Other tennis players have also made an appearance in pink recently. Simona Halep attended a party in pink on July 22nd. Genie Bouchard showed up to the ESPYs in a shiny pink dress too.
However, it is not just the color pink that is the bridge between Barbie and tennis. Tennis legend Billie Jean King and Naomi Osaka got their very own Barbies in 2020.
“It’s really a privilege. It’s such an honor to me to belong with these women that made such a difference to make the world a better place, and to lead and to show girls that we can be anything: we define ourselves,” said King.
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“We have to stop teaching our girls they’re never good enough. It starts in childhood. Barbie can help that. You can use your imagination with a Barbie doll, which is really important,” she said in her interview with TIME.
It is amazing to see the way the movie has been embraced by fans worldwide. Tennis stars too have been drawn into it, but the reception has been great. Their participation in such fun interviews will surely be enough to lead tennis fans to the theater too.
