Longtime Tennis Channel commentator Jon Wertheim has been taken off the air “indefinitely” after he made “inappropriate comments” about tennis star Barbora Krejcikova, the network announced Sunday.
Tennis Channel said in a statement that it was aware of the comments Wertheim made on Friday and removed him “immediately.”
“John has dedicated his career to highlighting and growing the sport, and is a valued member of our family and the tennis community. With that said, Tennis Channel always encourages its employees to respect others. “While we are enforcing standards, those standards are not being met at this time,” the statement said.
The department apologized to Krejcikova as well as Wertheim.
Krejcikova expressed regret over X’s comments on Saturday, writing: “As an athlete who has dedicated herself to this sport, it was disappointing to see such unprofessional commentary.”
Wertheim publicly apologized for X, saying he made “deeply regrettable off-air comments” during Friday’s Tennis Channel studio show.
“I acknowledge them. I feel sorry for them. I contacted them immediately and apologized to the players,” he said.
He then gave an explanation.
“what happened? I joined the show on Zoom. During the rehearsal, they showed a graphic of the athlete who had just competed. It showed her at an angle that exaggerated her forehead. I was asked to adjust the camera angle. I joked that his forehead looked like the photo of the player in question. Someone in the control room approached me and I joked back. “This exchange was unintentionally broadcast live without any context,” he said.
“I understand that I am not the victim here. It was not a professional act, it was not a philanthropic act, and it did not reflect the person I aspire to be. I am responsible for this. I own it. I’m sorry,” he concluded. In addition to his work at Tennis Channel, Wertheim is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and a correspondent for CBS’s “60 Minutes.”
Krejcikova addressed the comments on I believe the time has come to address the need.”
She said such comments distract from the dedication athletes put into their sport.
“I truly love tennis and want it to be represented in a way that respects our commitment to competing at this level,” she said.
