Kristina Mladenovic celebrated her 10th year of cooperation with Adidas by visiting the AdiHouse in Paris and unveiled her personalized Stan Smith which pays homage to both her home country of France and Serbian roots.
Wearing clay-colored leggings from Adidas’ latest tennis collection, Mladenovic discussed fashion and next outfits with designers at AdiHouse. The French-born tennis star offered us a sneak peek into her memorable visit to her Adidas family, sharing an exclusive photo carousel on social media.
The highlight of the photo collection is her personalized Stan Smith sneaker, meticulously customized to celebrate her deep connections with both France and Serbia. On one side, the painted Eiffel Tower and the French flag pay homage to the country she was born in, while on the other side, the Serbian flag and the Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade represent her Serbian roots. Her nickname “Kiki” and a short version of her last name are included in the design.
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This is how Mladenovic explained her French and Serbian origin a few years ago to The New York Times:
It could also be that in my heart I’m French because it’s my country and my roots, where I was born and grew up. And in my head I can be Serbian because I have character traits and a personality that are different. I am not someone with a completely French mentality.
The former WTA doubles No.1 Mladenovic was coincidentally born in France, the country she represents as a tennis player. Her father, Dragan, an Olympic gold medalist in team handball for Yugoslavia, chose to leave Serbia to play in the city of Dunkirk in northern France. As political tensions intensified in his homeland, his growing family stayed in France.
Mladenovic’s multilingualism is a testament to her international upbringing and cultural adaptability. Fluent in French and Serbian, the two languages that reflect her dual heritage, she has also mastered English, Spanish, and Italian. Additionally, Mladenovic possesses a solid understanding of Russian.
At the ongoing 2023 French Open, Mladenovic lost in the first round of singles to American Kayla Day. Mladenovic won the Roland Garros doubles title four times — twice with Caroline Garcia and twice with Timea Babosa — while this year she’s teamed up with Zhang Shuai.
