Barbora Krejčíková
Reporter gossips about the Wimbledon winner’s forehead – broadcaster draws conclusions
Tennis commentator Jon Wertheim made disparaging comments about the appearance of Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejčíková. For the time being he will not be seen on his channel.
Jon Wertheim probably thought he wasn’t on the air yet when he pointed his cell phone camera. The tennis commentator was supposed to be on the “Tennis Channel” before the semi-finals of the WTA Finals between Barbora Krejčíková and Qinwen Zheng – and uttered fateful words.
“Who do you think I am? Barbora Krejčíková?” he asked the presenters in the studio while looking for the right position in front of the camera. “Look at the foreheads when Krejcikova and Zheng enter the court: eighthead.” In English, the word “eighthead” is a derogatory term for someone who has a large forehead – based on “forehead”.
Had to run that back.. pic.twitter.com/aBnLekQnaL https://t.co/hpDYQviaJL
— Myles David (@TunedIntoTennis) November 8, 2024
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Tennis-Kommentator entschuldigt sich bei Barbora Krejčíková
Wertheim’s disparaging remark about the appearance of this year’s Wimbledon champion no longer played a role in the broadcast, but his words came back to haunt him when Krejčíková reacted to them. “As an athlete dedicated to this sport, it was disappointing to see this kind of unprofessional comment. It is not the first time that something like this has happened in the world of sport,” the 28-year-old Czech wrote on X.
“I have often chosen not to say anything, but I think it is time to address that we need respect and professionalism in sports journalism,” Krejčíková added. Comments like Wertheim’s would distract from the true nature of the sport and the dedication of the athletes.
Wertheim: It was just a rehearsal
The commentator reacted remorsefully and apologized for his statements. Wertheim explained that he had already asked Krejčíková personally to apologize and described the situation from his perspective: Immediately beforehand, a picture of Krejčíková had appeared in which her forehead was very much in the foreground. He wanted to make a joke about that when he was connected via Zoom. It was a rehearsal that was then broadcast.
All in white? The fashion rebels of Wimbledon
Duel of the giants: In 1980, Björn Borg (l.) and John McEnroe met in the Wimbledon final. The game made history, as both athletes fought a thrilling tie-break duel in the fourth set, which ended 18:16 in the American’s favor, but ultimately could not prevent Borg from winning his fifth Wimbledon title. In one respect, the two rivals were just fashionable: both wore red jackets to the award ceremony. At that time, the tournament management seemed to be taking it easy. Today such a look would be unthinkable.
© Sven Simon / Imago Images
Nevertheless, the statement was “neither professional nor nice” and did not reflect the person he wanted to be. Despite the apology, the broadcaster was resolute: Wertheim would no longer appear “for an indefinite period of time,” said “Tennis Channel”.
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