Overview
- During a Futurock segment on legislative results, Julia Mengolini said that to be a professional tennis player you have to be dumb while discussing Diego Hartfield’s win in Misiones with about 37% of the vote for La Libertad Avanza.
- The Asociación Argentina de Tenis issued a communiqué calling the phrase offensive, stigmatizing, and contrary to respectful public debate.
- The federation highlighted tennis as a vehicle for effort, inclusion, and social development, citing work by coaches, clubs, and families.
- Mengolini responded on X that it was a joke, mocked the federation’s seriousness, and claimed the reaction proved her point about a lack of abstraction.
- She later said she does not believe tennis players are dumb but attacked the authors of the statement as political 'gorilas' as the viral clip drew broad criticism and the dispute persisted.