Tennis Channel commentator Jon Wertheim has apologized for hot mic comments he made Friday that appeared to mock the foreheads of two women’s players.
For those who missed it, Wertheim’s hot mic blunder occurred as the Tennis Channel aired a WTA Finals Riyadh doubles semifinals match between Barbora Krejčíková and Zheng Qinwen. The broadcast briefly cut back to the studio by mistake.
“What do you think I am? Barbora Krejčíková?” Wertheim could be heard asking. “Look at the forehead when Krejčíková and Zheng take the court.”
Had to run that back.. pic.twitter.com/aBnLekQnaL https://t.co/hpDYQviaJL
— Myles David (@TunedIntoTennis) November 8, 2024
Wertheim posted an apology on X Sunday.
“During a Tennis Channel studio show on Friday, I made some deeply regrettable comments off-air,” he wrote. “I acknowledge them. I apologize for them. I reached out immediately and apologized to the player.
“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.”
Wertheim also tried to explain how the bizarre comment arose, saying that when he joined the broadcast via Zoom, the original camera focus emphasized his forehead. He thought it resembled a graphic that had just aired of Krejčíková that Wertheim says “exaggerated her forehead.”
A tennis twitter apology: pic.twitter.com/HT81C2CLeQ
— Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim) November 10, 2024
This certainly isn’t the most egregious hot mic comment ever captured on a sports broadcast, but it’s good for Wertheim to have apologized. He is a veteran journalist who serves as a 60 Minutes correspondent and has covered various sports, working full-time for Sports Illustrated since 1996.
[Jon Wertheim]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.