Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova has expressed her displeasure over “unprofessional commentary” after a prominent American tennis journalist mocked her performance during television coverage.
Apparently unaware he was on the air, Jon Wertheim said of Krejcikova on the US Tennis Channel network: “Who do you think I am? Barbara Krejcikova? Look at the forehead when Krejcikova and Zheng enter the court.’
Krejcikova took part in the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia this week, the highlight of the women’s regular season, where she lost to Zheng Qinwen in the semi-finals on Friday.
The clip quickly spread on social media, prompting the Czech to write on .
“As an athlete who has dedicated himself to this sport, it was disappointing to see this kind of unprofessional commentary. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened in the sports world. I have often chosen not to say anything, but I believe it is time to address the need for respect and professionalism in sports media.”
You may have heard of the recent comments on Tennis Channel during WTA Finals coverage that focused on my appearance rather than my performance. As an athlete who has dedicated himself to this sport, it was disappointing to see this kind of unprofessional (continued).
— Barbora Krejcikova (@BKrejcikova) November 10, 2024
It is not the first time that a broadcaster has been criticized for comments about the appearance of a female tennis player. In 2013, the BBC apologized after presenter John Inverdale said of French player Marion Bartoli after she won Wimbledon: “Do you think Bartoli’s father said to her when she was little, ‘You’ll never be a hottie, you’ll never be a real be an eye-catcher.’ be one [Maria] Sharapova, so you have to be sloppy and fight’?”
Wertheim later posted an apology that read: “During a Tennis Channel studio show on Friday, I made some very regrettable off-air comments. I acknowledge them. My apologies to them. I immediately reached out and apologized to the player.
“What happened? I joined the show via zoom. During rehearsal we were shown an image of a player who had just participated. It showed her at an angle that made her forehead exaggerated. A few moments later I was told told to frame my zoom lens. I looked at the low camera angle and joked that it made my forehead look like the photo of the player in question. Someone in the control room came in and I joked back. Although this was a private rehearsal, it became this exchange unintentional and broadcast live without context.
“I realize: I am not the victim here. It was neither professional, nor charitable, nor reflective of the person I aspire to be. I am responsible. I own this. I’m sorry.”
Krejcikova finished outside the top eight of the world rankings, but was given a place at the WTA Finals because she was a Grand Slam champion.
She received hundreds of supportive messages from tennis fans after posting a response to Wertheim’s comments: “These moments distract from the true essence of sport and the dedication that all athletes bring to the court. “I love tennis so much and I want it to be represented in a way that honors the commitment we make to compete at this level.”
Krejcikova’s insult shows that the sport has learned nothing from Inverdale’s rude comments about Bartoli
One of the more reserved players on the women’s tour, Barbora Krejcikova has never been in the spotlight. Still, the two-time Grand Slam champion found her voice after prominent American commentator Jon Wertheim mocked her and Zheng Qinwen for the size of their foreheads during Tennis Channel’s coverage of the WTA final.
The Wimbledon champion felt compelled to say something after Wertheim, unaware that the cameras were rolling in the studio, ridiculed both players’ performances in a hot-mic gaffe that left the presenters in the studio red-faced got.
‘What do you think I am? Barbora Krejcikova?” Wertheim was heard asking. “Look at the forehead when Krejcikova and Zheng enter the court.”
The comment did not go down well with Krejcikova, who in a lengthy statement about ”.
Wertheim’s clumsy and sexist joke – which he made because he thought he was off air after cameras briefly flashed back to the studio during coverage of a WTA doubles final – had echoes of when John Inverdale infamously played the mocked Marion Bartoli’s physique after the Frenchwoman won Wimbledon.
Inverdale’s dinosaur comments – that Bartoli would “never be a viewer” – caused a furore and prompted the BBC to issue a sincere apology. He never survived the incident during his final years with the company.
Men are still clearly concerned with how female players look
It was an unnecessary, embarrassing moment that should have served as a wake-up call to other broadcasters in tennis, a sport that claims to be the most gender-equal sport despite the occasional scheduling mishap at Grand Slams.
But almost a decade later, men are still clearly preoccupied with how female players look, rather than instinctively valuing their athletic ability. It also confirms how, despite the increased profile that women’s sport now enjoys, female bodies are still needlessly policed, while their male counterparts are routinely glorified.
No one is making fun of Jack Grealish for having huge calves, which are revered as his own superpower. Likewise, Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya is almost admired as a superhuman because of his gigantic hands. But for women, their bodies and appearance are viewed through a negative prism when they enter the sporting arena.
Wertheim’s own blunder comes just three months after Eurosport removed Bob Ballard from its commentary team at the Paris Olympics after he made a sexist comment about Australia’s female swimmers, saying the 4x100m freestyle team was “hanging around and getting ready” after they won gold.
Just last week, a male commentator was criticized for his sexist comments after saying that lioness Ella Toone had a “face like a beaten bum” after the Manchester United midfielder was substituted in her side’s Women’s Super League match against Arsenal.
When Wertheim questioned Krejcikova and Zheng’s appearance, the comments had the tone of those who regularly attacked former British Olympic swimming champion Rebecca Adlington over the size of her nose.
As a seasoned expert in his field, he should have known better, but this latest incident is a painful reminder of how women have to work doubly hard to earn the same level of respect as their male counterparts.
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