'Please help spread the word': Monte-Carlo uses illustrations on merchandise without permission

(Yana Bokyo/X)

The Monte-Carlo Masters might be over, but a storm is brewing behind the scenes involving a Ukrainian illustrator and the tournament.

Yana Boyko, an illustrator and designer who states in her X bio that she is open to collaboration, was left "shocked" after discovering that the tournament was selling merchandise in stores featuring her illustrations without her consent.

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American tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg stated that he asked one of his friends who was at the tournament to check the store, and found the shirt in children's sizes with Boyko's designs, selling for 25 euros. It was also revealed that her name was removed from the top left corner of the design, with the initials 'MCCC' (Monte-Carlo Country Club), added below.

"I began drawing sports events because I love sports and decided to try combining my interests with illustration," Boyko told Ben Rothenberg's Bounces. "I like to capture the story of the moment and convey the dynamics, movement, and my emotions. I prefer working with traditional materials rather than digital illustration.

"As a child, I couldn't play tennis due to financial constraints, but I was always drawn to the aesthetics of the game. I watched tournaments and what happened off the court—it was always fascinating."

According to the shirt's tag, it was made by SPRAY — an Italian merchandising company.

When Boyko first learned about the Monte-Carlo Country Club selling her illustrations without her permission, she was left mortified, admitting that she "couldn't sleep".

"I found out about it from a follower on Instagram; she sent me an influencer's story and congratulated me on a successful collaboration with the legendary tournament," she said.

"I was shocked and disappointed. I could have imagined that some Chinese stores might [illegally] use my print, but not one of the most respected and oldest tournaments on the tour.

"They wrote to me saying that they handle ticket distribution, that they were sorry this situation had occurred, and that they would forward the matter to the appropriate department. After that, I asked them to specify which department they would forward it to, when, and who would get back to me, so that I could keep track of the situation. I never received a response to these questions."

When Bounces reached out to the tournament for comment, tournament director David Massey issued a response to the controversy.

"Thank you for bringing this to our attention," Massey said. "We are contacting our supplier to clarify this."

Despite the confusion and lack of communication, Boyko won't rule out working with the tournament in the future.

"I'd be happy to work with them on a collection next year and attend the tournament," she shared. "I'm always open to collaboration, and this whole situation is simply a fight for respect for intellectual property and hard work. Nothing more, nothing less."

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