Athleta has signed up retired tennis star Monica Puig. Puig joins a number of women including Allyson Felix in endorsing the brand.

Athleta is investing in tennis. It has partnered with the USTA  and serves as the official sponsor of the USTA league, USTA Player Development Teaching Professional Initiative, and the girls’ USTA Foundation Excellence Team. The company is releasing The Power of She Collection initiative as it looks to connect girls and women to the sport.

Puig was surprised to get the call from Athleta as she was thinking about retirement. She said:

When I got the call from Athleta, my retirement was very hush-hush, The first thing I had to tell them with a heavy heart was I’m not going to play tennis anymore. I was surprised they wanted me anyway and are bringing me on this team because they are supporting athletes who are in all different phases of life.

Monica Puig became the first Peurto Rican to win a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2016. She won the women’s singles title there. She won two singles titles in her career and made more than $3.5 million in prize money. In 2022, she retired from tennis after struggling with injuries.