The journalist Jon Wertheim, during a link with Tennis Channel, let himself go with a truly grotesque and embarrassing comment, believing he was not on air at the time, essentially body shaming Barbora Krejcikova. A comment that the Czech tennis player did not appreciate at all.
“Do you think I’m Barbora Krejcikova? Look carefully at her forehead,” said the journalist.
The Czech player responded harshly on her X account, writing: “You may have heard a comment during the Tennis Channel’s WTA Finals TV broadcast about my physical appearance rather than my performance on the tennis court. As an athlete who has dedicated herself entirely to this sport, I find this unfortunate and indicative of an unprofessional attitude.”
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 (cont.)
— Barbora Krejcikova (@BKrejcikova) November 10, 2024
Wertheim apologized, trying to clarify her point of view on the incident: “On Friday, I participated in a Zoom TV broadcast and during the rehearsals they showed us the graphic of a tennis player who had just played. The shot accentuated the size of her forehead. I looked at the camera angle and thought it made my forehead look like hers. So I made that comment. I apologize for what I said and I take responsibility. It was disrespectful of me, unprofessional and far from the person I strive to be.”
A tennis twitter apology: pic.twitter.com/HT81C2CLeQ
— Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim) November 10, 2024
Of course, the journalist’s words, grotesque and truly ridiculous, have little to do with tennis and the protagonists who take to the court every day. Above all, I find it ridiculous how in 2024 there are still these comments: being live doesn’t help and Wertheim rightly ended up at the center of criticism. But the journalist’s apologies are not enough in my opinion. After years of fighting for these social issues, there are still people who waste themselves with these obsolete and shameful comments. Barbora has all the solidarity of Tennis World USA staff.