Sydney Sweeney’s viral sports ad has already ruffled a few feathers, and Jake Paul’s MVP boxer Skye Nicolson is not exactly here for it.

The Australian boxer took aim at the campaign with a reel showing off her own achievements, pairing the footage with a pointed message: “Respectfully Sydney Sweeney, this is sports.”

And Nicolson wasn’t done there. In the caption, she made it clear that she thinks women’s sports deserve to be sold on more than just sexualisation.

“Giving the ad campaign exactly what they wanted, but honestly these companies need to do better,” she wrote. “Stop sexualising women in #sport.”

The ad, created for sports trading app Novig, features Sydney Sweeney posing mostly nude with various pieces of sporting equipment. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for the campaign to blow up online.

But while some enjoyed the cheeky approach, others felt the ad crossed a line by leaning so heavily into suggestive imagery and language. For critics, the issue was simple: women’s sport should be about what athletes achieve, not how their bodies can be used to sell it.

Skye Nicolson later made it clear that she wasn’t criticising women for embracing their femininity or looking attractive while competing. Her argument was about the difference between confidence and using sexuality as the main selling point.

“There’s a big difference between looking sexy because you do sport compared to using sex to sell sport,” Nicolson wrote in an Instagram Story. “People will all have their own opinions on this. There is nothing wrong with looking good and doing sport, and there’s nothing wrong with embracing your femininity while also being a bada– athlete.

“It’s the disrespect on athletes who dedicate their life to sport and to the women who have broken barriers for generations, to then have it made a mockery of by using a sex symbol using suggestive language and imagery in an ad about sport.”

The 31-year-old also made it clear that, in her view, advertising campaigns need to do better. Female athletes have spent decades pushing back against being talked down to, held back, and sexualised against their will. So, to critics, the Novig campaign feels like a step backward rather than a celebration of women in sport.

Sweeney, meanwhile, appeared to respond to the backlash in her own way. The actress shared a series of magazine covers featuring prominent athletes posing nude, including Serena Williams and Ronda Rousey, before following them up with images from her own Novig campaign.

However, critics were quick to push back on that comparison. The photographs the Hollywood star shared came from ESPN Magazine’s BODY Issue, which was designed to celebrate the athletic form and featured actual athletes.

In their view, there’s a pretty big difference between showcasing an athlete’s body as part of their sporting identity and using overtly sexual imagery to sell a sports campaign.

And this isn’t the first time the Euphoria star has found herself at the centre of an advertising controversy. Last year, her American Eagle jeans campaign also faced backlash, with some viewers arguing that it carried racist undertones.

Skye Nicolson’s criticism also carries a little more weight given her own place in women’s boxing. The Australian is a two-weight world champion and has been part of the sport’s growth for years.

The Aussie began her professional career with Matchroom Boxing, which recently joined forces with MVP in a strategic alliance aimed at expanding women’s boxing. So, for the 31-year-old, the conversation is about more than one viral ad. It’s about how the sport she competes in is presented to the world.

“Women’s boxing is entering a new era, and I want to be right at the centre of it,” Nicolson said after the partnership was announced. “This partnership with MVP and Matchroom gives me the opportunity to chase legacy, compete in the biggest fights out there, and help continue pushing women’s boxing forward.

“My goal has always been to test myself against the very best and be involved in the biggest fights in women’s boxing. I truly believe this move puts me in the best possible position to do exactly that. I’m excited for what’s ahead and can’t wait for this next chapter of my career to unfold.”

Skye Nicolson was also scheduled to defend her WBC featherweight title against Miyo Yoshida on August 29, 2026, at BP Pulse Live in Birmingham, England. However, the Australian’s return to the ring hit a roadblock when an injury forced her to withdraw from the bout.

Ariarne Titmus and Tilly Kearns join Skye Nicolson in calling out Sydney Sweeney’s ad

Skye Nicolson wasn’t the only Australian athlete who took issue with the campaign. Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus also weighed in, sharing a lengthy response on her Instagram Stories about why the advertisement rubbed her, and many other women in sport, the wrong way.

The 25-year-old admitted she had initially planned to stay quiet, but the campaign pushed her past that point.

“I wasn’t going to share this as I didn’t want to give this any more attention. But I can’t keep my mouth shut,” Titmus wrote on social media. “I can’t describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this.

“Not only is this a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every woman who enjoys sports for what it really is – teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellence, unity … the list goes on.”

Ariarne Titmus also questioned how, in 2026, sexualising and monetising a woman’s body could still be considered a normal way to promote sport.

“I thought we were genuinely moving past this bulls—,” she continued. “What is this teaching the young men and women of today?”

And she had one final message for Sweeney: ‘Sydney Sweeney, do better.’

Fellow swimmer and Olympic water polo player Tilly Kearns also joined the backlash, posting a video packed with highlights from her own career. The footage came with a pretty blunt message:

“I absolutely f—— hate Sydney Sweeney’s new sports ad,” she shared on social media.

Kearns didn’t exactly soften her stance in the caption, either.

“Like, what are we doing … so much worse than I imagined too. Here’s some real women sports content,” she wrote.

The two-time Olympic silver medallist’s response echoed the same criticism coming from Skye Nicolson and Ariarne Titmus: women’s athletic achievements should be celebrated for their skill, discipline, and dedication. And definitely not repackaged through sexual imagery.

That’s really where the controversy has landed. It’s become less about Sweeney herself and more about how brands choose to market women’s sport.

For Nicolson, the issue isn’t whether female athletes can embrace their appearance. It’s whether those appearances are being pushed to the forefront while the actual athletic achievements take a back seat.