Tennis Channel talking head sidelined for remark

The Tennis Channel has placed one of their tournament talking heads on indefinite suspension after an outburst against Wimbledon winner Barbora Krejcikova.

American Jon Wertheim copped the punishment at the weekend after mocking the looks of the reigning Grand Slam champion during what he had assumed to be an off-air rehearsal session.

The journo was on a video chat and appeared dissatisfied with his image on a Zoom call on Friday during coverage of the WTA Finals.

He blurred out: “What do you think I am? Barbora Krejcikova? Look at the forehead (“eight-head”) when Krejcikova and Zheng [Qinwen] take the court.”

The reference was to how large he thought his own forehead appeared on screen.

The network slapped Wertheim with the suspension, giving no indication as to its length,

In the meantime, he had already apologised and reached out privately to the Czech player.

A TC statement read: “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 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.

“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.”

Krejcikova, the 2021 Roland Garros champion, responded with a Sunday online post: “As an athlete who has dedicated herself to this sport, it was disappointing to see this type of unprofessional commentary.

“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 honours the commitment we make to compete at this level.”

Main photo:- Barbora Krejikova won 2024 Wimbledon Ladies singles final – by Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd