Tennis Star Krejcikova Criticizes Journalist’s On-Air Comment About Her Appearance

Barbora Krejcikova, a Wimbledon champion and winner of two Grand Slam singles titles along with 10 women’s and mixed doubles titles, has voiced criticism regarding a journalist’s “unprofessional commentary” following a comment he made about her physical appearance during a broadcast. The incident occurred on Friday during a Tennis Channel broadcast, when Jon Wertheim made a comment concerning the forehead of the Czech world number 13. At the time, Krejcikova was participating in the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where her tournament concluded in the semi-finals after a loss to Zheng Qinwen, who went on to become the runner-up. Wertheim subsequently described his remarks as “deeply regrettable” and confirmed he had offered an apology to Krejcikova. In response, Tennis Channel has taken him off air “indefinitely.” The 28-year-old Krejcikova addressed the situation on X, stating: “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.” She added, “As an athlete who has dedicated herself to this sport, it was disappointing to see this type of unprofessional commentary.” Krejcikova further noted, “This isn’t the first time something like this is happening in [the] 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.” She concluded by emphasizing, “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.” In a statement issued on Sunday, Wertheim clarified that the comments were made during a rehearsal and were “inadvertently” broadcast. On X, he elaborated: “During a Tennis Channel studio show on Friday, I made some deeply regrettable comments off-air. I acknowledge them. I apologise for them. I reached out immediately and apologised to the player.” Wertheim explained the context, stating, “What happened? I joined the show by Zoom. In rehearsal we were shown a graphic of a player who had just competed. It showed her at an angle that exaggerated her forehead.” He continued, “A few moments later, I was told to frame up my Zoom. I looked at the low camera angle and joked that it made my forehead resemble the photo of the player in question. Someone in the control room chimed in and I bantered back. Though this was a private rehearsal, this exchange inadvertently, and without context, made it to live air.” Wertheim concluded his statement by accepting responsibility: “I realise: I am not the victim here. It was neither professional nor charitable nor reflective of the person I strive to be. I am accountable. I own this. I am sorry.” Tennis Channel provided a statement to BBC Sport, confirming: “When Tennis Channel became aware of an inappropriate comment about a professional tennis player made by our analyst Jon Wertheim on Friday, we immediately removed him from our air indefinitely.” The network added, “The network also apologised to the player, Barbora Krejcikova, as did Jon. Jon has dedicated his career to shining a light on and growing this sport and has been a valued member of our family and the tennis community.” They concluded by stating, “That said, Tennis Channel holds its employees to a standard of respectfulness for others at all times, a standard that was not met in this moment.”