American actor Sydney Sweeney is no stranger to controversies, with the infamous 2025 American Eagle advertisement being the most notable. The Euphoria star has found herself embroiled in yet another row after a recent ad for a sports trading app drew immense criticism for featuring her mostly naked, with her body covered with various sports balls and uniforms.

While many, including athletes, continue to slam her for purportedly sexualising women’s sports, Sydney has offered a veiled response to the controversy, sharing similar photoshoots featuring sportspeople. However, she did not respond to the matter directly.

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The row erupted after US sports prediction market company Novig unveiled its latest commercial featuring Sydney Sweeney in minimal to no clothing, pretending to play various sports such as basketball, football, pool, hockey, and tennis. In most shots, she was seen covering only her private areas, particularly with footballs, tennis rackets, and her hair.

The advertisement soon went viral globally, with many coming down heavily on Novig and the actor for the blatant objectification of a female body and, by extension, the sexualisation of women’s sports.

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Amid the controversy, Sydney indirectly reacted, taking to her Instagram stories to share photos of sports stars such as Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Caroline Wozniacki, Myles Garrett, Rob Gronkowski, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jason Kelce posing for similar photoshoots.

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Sports stars slam Sydney Sweeney’s viral Novig ad

However, many athletes criticised the Novig commercial. Mentioning that she thought such “bul**hit” marketing was a thing of the past, retired Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus noted on Instagram, “I can’t describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this. Not only is it a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but also to every woman who enjoys sports for what it really is – teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellence, and unity. How do we live in a world where monetising a woman’s body and sexualising women’s sport is still a thing?”

Australian Olympic swimmer Lani Pallister shared a video of her training regimen, races, and medals, writing, “Don’t know what Sydney thinks sport looks like, but THIS is what sport looks like.” Australian water poloist Tilly Kearns wrote, “I absolutely f**king hate Sydney Sweeney’s new sports ad.”

 

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Professional boxer Skye Nicolson, according to The Guardian, said the backlash was about making a “mockery” of women in sport rather than judging Sydney’s looks. “There’s a big difference between looking ‘sexy’ because you do sport compared to using sex to sell ‘sport’. There is nothing wrong with looking good and doing sports, and there’s nothing wrong with embracing your femininity while also being a badass athlete.”

Netizens react to Sydney Sweeney’s viral ad

Several netizens also slammed the advert, with one person commenting, “Thank you for undoing everything women try to build in sports.” Another user wrote, “As a former athlete and a woman who has personally experienced sexualised comments, I’m genuinely disgusted and deeply disappointed by this campaign. We’ve spent years fighting to be seen and respected for our talent, strength, and achievements-not reduced to our bodies.”

 

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One Instagram user went as far as to call it “by far the worst commercial I have ever seen.” Another person wondered, “In 2026 they still thought this was a good idea?”

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