'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAFAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAX/xAAVAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEBf/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAlRAlr//EAB0QAAICAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQFBgARQWH/2gAIAQEAAT8Aoa3VzWqZnJW3cWqczrGUROumryH0c1+pQmwONlmrMZHrRMxDgAkqPnP/xAAXEQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAQMA/9oACAECAQE/AMbXmUu//8QAGhEAAgIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQMCBAAFEf/aAAgBAwEBPwDbLjXusWociM//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Swiss tennis icon Martina Hingis drew criticism over her commentary during Iga Swiatek's WTA Finals clash. In other news, Patrick McEnroe defended himself against criticism of being in his brother John McEnroe’s shadow.
Meanwhile, Barbora Krejcikova called out a tennis insider for an "unprofessional" comment on her looks. Daria Kasatkina took aim at a controversial rule that granted Krejcikova a WTA Finals entry.
Also, Stan Wawrinka faced backlash for criticizing Stefanos Tsitsipas over his comments on the two-week-long Masters.
On that note, here's a recap of the top tennis controversies from last week:
Martina Hingis faced backlash over her commentary during Iga Swiatek’s WTA Finals match
Martina Hingis faced criticism for her incessant chatting and allegedly mocking the players' complaints about the season's length during the final group-stage match between Iga Swiatek and Daria Kasatkina at the 2024 WTA Finals.
Trending
Swiatek won the match decisively, 6-1, 6-0, but tennis fans were disappointed by Hingis' commentary on Tennis Channel+. Taking to X, one fan expressed frustration, feeling Hingis' presence in the commentary box detracted from the match, as the commentators engaged in an "unproductive" conversation during the match.
"My biggest pet peeve in sports is when there's a special guest in the commentary booth and they totally ignore the game to interview that person WTA has a really bad habit of doing that during WTA Finals, which is especially bad as it's their premiere event," a fan lashed out.
"Like is there a more unproductive convo than talking about how Iga should potentially play a full-time doubles schedule because that's how it was back in your day?" the fan questioned.
Iga Swiatek's title defense concluded after eventual champion Coco Gauff was defeated 5-7, 4-6 by Barbora Krejcikova. Although Swiatek, Krejcikova, and Gauff each secured two victories, Swiatek missed out on a semifinal spot due to having the lowest set percentage among them.
Patrick McEnroe stood his ground against comments on being in his brother John McEnroe’s shadow
Patrick McEnroe fired back at an online critic who accused him of riding on his brother and tennis legend John McEnroe's success.
The exchange started when McEnroe shared his NFL picks on X (formerly Twitter), leading a follower and former tennis pro to reply (in a now-deleted tweet) that McEnroe depended on his brother’s fame and couldn’t make his mark.
"I will reluctantly check it out. I have made a lot of money betting against your NFL picks. I still have your brothers sweat drenched Nike shirt he threw into the crowd at the US Open. Happy days. Framed," tweeted the user.
In response, McEnroe retorted with a sarcastic tweet:
"Wow such nice comments from a fellow tennis person. All the best to you my friend."
Barbora Krejcikova slammed tennis insider for "unprofessional" comment on her looks
Barbora Krejcikova criticized tennis journalist Jon Wertheim for his unprofessional behavior following his controversial comments on her physical appearance during her 2024 WTA Finals campaign.
While on the Tennis Channel, Wertheim made a snide remark about Krejcikova's forehead, sparking widespread backlash on social media.
"What do you think I am? Barbora Krejcikova. Look at the forehead when Krejcikova and Zheng take the court. Eighthead," Wertheim had said.
Krejcikova addressed the comment with a strong message on X (formerly Twitter), expressing disappointment in hearing such remarks within women's tennis. The 28-year-old noted that she had previously stayed silent on similar issues but felt compelled to speak out this time, urging journalists to exercise greater professionalism to avoid distasteful incidents.
"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 commentary," Krejcikova wrote.
"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," she added.
In response to the backlash, Wertheim issued a public apology on X, acknowledging his regret and confirming that he had already apologized to Krejcikova in private.
"During a Tennis Channel studio show on Friday, I made some deeply regrettable comments off-air. I acknowledge them. I apologize for them. I reached out immediately and apologized to the player," Wertheim wrote.
"What happened? I joined the show by zoom. In rehearsal we were shown a graphic of a player who had just competed. It showed her at an angle that exaggerated her forehead. A few moments later, I was told to frame up my zoom. I looked at the low camera angle and joked that it made my forehead resemble the photo of the player in question," he added.
Although he clarified that he believed he was off-air at the time, Wertheim accepted full responsibility for his remarks and committed to ensuring similar mistakes are avoided in the future.
"Someone in the control room chimed in and I bantered back. Though this was a private rehearsal, this exchange inadvertently, and without context, made it to live air," he said.
"I realize: I am not the victim here. It was neither professional nor charitable nor reflective of the person I strive to be. I am accountable. I own this. I am sorry," he added.
Daria Kasatkina questioned the rule that helped Barbora Krejcikova secure a spot at the WTA Finals
Daria Kasatkina shared her thoughts on Barbora Krejcikova securing a spot at the 2024 WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Krejcikova, ranked 13th before the year-end championships, qualified due to her Wimbledon title earlier in the season.
WTA Finals rules state that the first seven spots go to the top seven players in the rankings, while the eighth spot goes to either the eighth-ranked player or a Major winner ranked between eighth and 20th.
Kasatkina, ranked World No. 9, attended the Finals as the first alternate, replacing the injured Pegula for one match and losing 1-6, 0-6 to Swiatek. After her loss, Kasatkina told The National that the qualification spots should have been based solely on the WTA Race rankings, regardless of Grand Slam victories.
"In my opinion, the WTA Race is the WTA Race. So it's about the how many points you earn during the year. If you win a Grand Slam, you already got what you achieved," Daria Kasatkina said. "You won the Grand Slam, points, money, glory, everything. Here it's the WTA Race. So I think in this scenario, it has to go by points."
Stan Wawrinka came under fire for throwing shade at Stefanos Tsitsipas over his criticism of two-week Masters
Stefanos Tsitsipas criticized the ATP's two-week Masters 1000 format, claiming it harms the quality of the events by limiting recovery and training time.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Tsitsipas pointed out the irony of the ATP adopting this schedule without evidence of its benefits.
"The two-week Masters 1000s have turned into a drag. The quality has definitely dropped. Players aren’t getting the recovery or training time they need, with constant matches and no space for the intense work off the court. It’s ironic that the @atptour committed to this format without knowing if it could actually improve the schedule, but the quality likewise," he wrote.
In response, Stan Wawrinka shared an old video of Tsitsipas, highlighting a double standard. The video featured Tsitsipas supporting the two-week format, in which ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi explained that it could create a "premium" product and allow players more rest between matches.
Tennis fans took to X to express disapproval of Wawrinka's actions.
Stefanos Tsitsipas is currently in Turin, Italy, where he is participating in the ATP Finals as an alternate. Stan Wawrinka, on the other hand, ended his season following his early exit at the Belgarde Open in Serbia.
