"You simply shouldn't talk about a woman's appearance";"Misogynist clown" - Fans angry over tennis insider's apology for Barbora Krejcikova comments
Tennis journalist Jon Wertheim apologized to Barbora Krejcikova after making controversial remarks about her appearance. However, fans have not accepted his apology, expressing outrage.
The incident occurred during the recently concluded WTA Finals, where Krejcikova reached the semifinals but was defeated by Zheng Qinwen, who later lost to Coco Gauff in the final. While previewing the title bout on Tennis Channel, Wertheim's comment about the Czech's forehead was accidentally aired during a commercial break.
Wertheim later apologized on X (formerly Twitter) after the reigning Wimbledon champion expressed her disappointment over the incident. He wrote:
"During a Tennis Channel studio show on Friday, I made some deeply regrettable comments off-air. I acknowledge them. I apologize for them. I reached out immediately and apologized to the player."
Fans, however, have been skeptical of Jon Wertheim's apology, with many accusing him of posting it under pressure after Barbora Krejcikova publicly expressed her feelings. One X user wrote:
"You simply shouldn't talk about women's appearance at all, especially as a joke."
Another wrote:
"You cannot be serious right now. You think this is a joke! Continuing to talk about her physical features in your fauxpology. There is NO feasible explanation for your misogynistic comments. If sorry I got caught was a person. Do better. Can’t begin to imagine what else you say."
"Pathetic not something to be joking about on or off air. We know the establishment media are protected and you probably had a degree of complacency involved in your actions but that behaviour isn’t good enough. I hope tennis channel take the right course of action," another posted.
One account tweeted:
"Would you have written this ''apology'' if Barbora hadn't commented about it?"
"Misogynist clown," another wrote.
"Pathetic. You only apologised because you were caught. We have no reason to believe this wasn’t a one-off either," one fan chimed in.
Barbora Krejcikova makes her feelings known on Jon Wertheim's "unprofessional" comments
Barbora Krejcikova took to X to express her disappointment over Jon Wertheim's comments about her forehead, describing them as "unprofessional" and hurtful. She wrote:
"You might have heard about the recent comments made on Tennis Channel during the WTA Finals coverage that focused on my appearance rather than my performance. As an athlete who has dedicated herself to this sport, it was disappointing to see this type of unprofessional commentary."
The Czech added:
"This isn’t the first time something like this is happening in sports world. I’ve often chosen not to speak up, but I believe it’s time to address the need for respect and professionalism in sports media."
"These moments distract from the true essence of sport and the dedication all athletes bring to the field. I love tennis deeply, and I want to see it represented in a way that honors the commitment we make to compete at this level," she continued.
Krejcikova finished the year ranked World No. 13 and is now looking ahead to the start of the 2025 season in January, aiming to begin it on a high note.