A renowned Argentine muralist paid tribute to two tennis greats at Palacio Bosch, the residence of the U.S. ambassador to Argentina.
Ambassador Marc R. Stanley and Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, the State Department’s chief diversity and inclusion officer, unveiled a new mural by Martin Ron featuring Gabriela Sabatini and Serena Williams on the court.
Abercrombie-Winstanley attended the event as part of her recent visit to Argentina and Chile.
Stanley and his wife, Wendy Stanley, an avid tennis player, commissioned the new mural.
Ron is known worldwide for creating murals in grand dimensions, incorporating vibrant colors and exacting detail.
Gabriela Sabatini, who attended the event, is a native of Buenos Aires and one of the leading female tennis players of her generation. She has won 41 titles, including the women’s doubles title at Wimbledon in 1988, and the Olympic singles silver medal in Seoul, South Korea, that same year. She went on to win the women’s singles title at the U.S. Open in 1990. In 2006 she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In 2018 Tennis magazine ranked her as one of the greatest female players of the last 50 years.
Serena Williams holds the most combined major titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, totaling 39. Her 14 major titles for women’s doubles were all with her sister Venus. The Williams sisters are credited with ushering in a new era of power and athleticism in women’s professional tennis.
Argentine tennis player Diego Schwartzman, who has been ranked the number 8 men’s singles player in the world, is also featured in the mural. Across from the new artwork is one Ron created in 2016 of tennis stars Andre Agassi and Juan Martin del Potro. Schwartzman and del Potro attended the unveiling of the new mural.
The tennis stars at the event shared tips with 30 students who came with Mi Primer Peloteo, a nonprofit helping children from low-income neighborhoods learn how to play tennis by building tennis courts in their neighborhoods, providing lessons and creating opportunities for practice and learning.
“This mural serves as a symbol of the enduring friendship between the United States and Argentina and is a vivid example of the importance of empowering young girls so they know they can grow up to become strong sports icons who are making a difference around the world,” Stanley said.
