Clare Baldwin stopped John McEnroe in his tracks after he made a bawdy reference to 'swingers' during Wimbledon coverage.
Tennis legend McEnroe, a permanent member of the BBC's punditry team, caused a stir with his cheeky comment during a live broadcast. McEnroe's remark came during the women's singles match between Ons Jabeur and Petra Kvitova, which saw Jabeur secure a spot in the quarter-finals.
The incident occurred when the pundits were discussing the overcast conditions at SW19. Presenter Clare Balding made a cricket reference, mentioning the possibility of swing in the ball. Fellow pundit Tim Henman, a former Wimbledon semi-finalist, agreed with Balding, stating that the conditions were favorable for the seamers.
This led McEnroe to make his playful comment. He asked: "Are the swingers the ones who don't throw it as hard [in cricket]? Is that what swingers are? We have different definitions in the States!" The remark elicited laughter from his fellow pundits, but Balding quickly reminded McEnroe that the BBC is "not a channel for that sort of talk."
While McEnroe's comment, reported in the Mirror Online, may have raised eyebrows, the focus of the match remained on Jabeur's impressive performance. The 28-year-old Tunisian player is determined to win her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon this year. She reached the finals of both Wimbledon and the US Open last year but fell short of claiming the championship.
Jabeur's next challenge is a quarter-final clash against Elena Rybakina. With top-seeded players like Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka still in the tournament, Jabeur faces tough competition. However, she remains confident and motivated to avenge her previous losses and make her mark at SW19.
After defeating Kvitova, Jabeur expressed her determination to win, acknowledging the difficulty of the upcoming match against Rybakina. She also praised Kvitova for her contribution to women's tennis and expressed gratitude towards the Wimbledon crowd for their support.
She added, "I love how Petra plays. I respect a lot what she has done for women's tennis, and today to be able to win against her is huge for me really. I'm loving every moment that I'm here. You guys [the crowd] have no idea the energy you bring to me. I just want to win every match so I can see you the next day - so remember this because I'm playing Rybakina!"
