The University of Georgia women’s tennis team arrived at the White House on Tuesday to celebrate their 2025 NCAA championship, only to discover themselves positioned behind a group of male administrators and coaches in the official photograph.
In the image shared by White House press aide Margo Martin, President Donald Trump stood center, flanked on either side by five Georgia staff members — including athletic director Josh Brooks, deputy athletic director Ford Williams, head coach Drake Bernstein, associate head coach Jarryd Chaplin, and assistant coach Will Reynolds — who occupied the front row of a staged setup. The 11 championship-winning players stood on a riser directly behind them, largely obscured from view.
The photo quickly ignited criticism online, with former tennis star Martina Navratilova quoting the image on X with the caption “A photo is worth a thousand words,” while social media users accused the composition of rendering the women’s achievement invisible. One commenter wrote, “Me when I definitely respect women’s sports teams: what if we put them behind us so you can barely see them,” echoing widespread frustration that the team’s third national title — their first since 2000 — was being visually diminished by the staging.
The women’s team was acknowledged in words but not in the visual record
Despite the photograph’s implications, both the team and university officials framed the visit as a proud moment. Head coach Drake Bernstein told the Athens Banner-Herald it was “a terrific experience and memory for these young ladies to be able to share for the rest of their lives,” a sentiment mirrored in the team’s official X post thanking Trump for the invitation.
Yet video footage from the same event, also shared by Martin, showed Trump approaching the group and shaking hands with each of the five men in front — but not with any of the women players. This selective gesture intensified perceptions that the women were being acknowledged only ceremonially, not substantively.
This incident fits a pattern of strained White House visits under Trump
Championship teams have traditionally been invited to the White House after victories, but such visits have turn into politically charged during Trump’s terms. Before 2019, no women’s championship team had made a solo visit to the White House under his administration; prior appearances were limited to joint events.
The Georgia women’s tennis team was one of four women’s squads honored at Tuesday’s NCAA Collegiate National Champions Day event, alongside a mixed-gender rifle team. Their experience echoes that of the U.S. Women’s hockey team, which declined a White House invitation earlier in 2026 after winning Olympic gold, citing scheduling — but also referencing a prior comment by Trump in which he joked about needing to invite the women’s team while speaking with the gold-winning men’s squad.
Hilary Knight, captain of that hockey team, called the remark a “distasteful joke” that had overshadowed their achievement, a sentiment now resurfacing among Georgia’s players and supporters who feel the photo undermines the significance of their on-court success.
The university has not publicly challenged the photo’s composition
While the UGA Athletic Association later issued a statement through USA Today affirming the team’s pride in representing the institution, neither the university nor the team has questioned the staging of the photograph or requested an alternative version.
Online Athens reported that most players used their free time in Washington to visit the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, underscoring that the trip retained personal meaning despite the controversy. Dasah Vidmanova, a former NCAA singles champion on last year’s roster, did not attend due to a WTA commitment in Madrid.
Georgia remains ranked No. 2 in the latest ITA rankings and is set to host the NCAA men’s and women’s tennis championships at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in mid-May, with the women’s bracket to be announced on April 27.
Why were the women’s tennis players positioned behind the men in the photo?
The sources do not indicate who approved the staging or whether it was directed by the White House, the university, or the team itself. No official explanation has been provided for the arrangement that placed the male administrators and coaches in front of the players on the riser.
Has the University of Georgia responded to the criticism?
The UGA Athletic Association issued a statement confirming the team’s pride in the visit, but neither the university nor the team has publicly addressed concerns about the photo’s composition or acknowledged the backlash regarding the players’ visibility.
