American tennis player Reilly Opelka shared his not-so-subtle opinion on the Tennis Channel hot mic incident where Jon Wertheim made derogatory comments about Barbora Krejcikova.
Wertheim‘s comments last Friday resulted in a firestorm of activity including a Twitter apology by him that did not mention Krejcikova by name, Krejcikova’s Twitter response to the incident, and Tennis Channel suspending Wertheim indefinitely.
Except for Australian tennis player Daria Saville supporting Krejcikova on Twitter for taking a stand, very little encouragement has been publicly shown to her. Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, and Billie Jean King have been quiet. Rennae Stubbs has also not said anything.
What’s next for @EmmaRaducanu?@andyroddick and Reilly Opelka share their thoughts on the 🇬🇧 star. #TCLive pic.twitter.com/BzNZNTlljQ
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) April 26, 2023
Reilly Opelka’s opinion is the first among male players. It is noteworthy because he worked for Tennis Channel during the two years he was off the court recovering from injuries. Opelka made his long-awaited comeback to the ATP Tour over the summer.
What Reilly Opelka Said
Opelka posted the video of Wertheim’s hot mic incident on his Instagram story with a caption that said: “The classic hot mic… Amateur hour @tennis media.”
It is difficult to fully interpret what Opelka means, but he does not seem to feel his former employer, the Tennis Channel, is the most professional operation.
In her Twitter post, Krejcikova mentioned holding sports media professionals to a higher standard. She also said that it is not the first incident in sports.
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. As an athlete who has dedicated herself to this sport, it was disappointing to see this type of unprofessional (cont.)
— Barbora Krejcikova (@BKrejcikova) November 10, 2024
When Will Others Speak Out?
To some, this may seem like a harmless slip on Wertheim’s part. Perhaps it is. However, ignoring the incident and trying to sweep it under the rug at the end of the season hoping it is forgotten in 2025 is not doing anyone a public service. Everyone can and should learn from it. Athletes are accountable for their performance but are often chastised for more than that by sports media professionals. These people somehow have been given latitude to act less than professional. This is not just the case in tennis; it spans all sports.
