In a surprising twist, tennis legend Chris Evert found herself on the receiving end of criticism after making an interesting remark during her commentary on Karolína Muchová’s US Open 2024 clash against Naomi Osaka.
Evert, who has long been a champion for fighting for women’s rights in tennis, faced backlash after she claimed that Muchová “plays like a guy” because of the power in her shots. The comment, intended as a good-natured compliment, didn’t sit well with many, including Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur.
Jabeur didn’t hold back, taking to X to call out the stereotyping based on gender.
Muchova is an amazing talented player . She doesn’t have to be a guy to have great serve , volley or movement.
Can we please stop stereotyping based on gender? https://t.co/weWF3MQtmH— Ons Jabeur (@Ons_Jabeur) August 30, 2024
Jabeur’s response quickly went viral. She gained support from fans who agreed that it was time to stop comparing female athletes to their male counterparts.
Chris Evert under fire for comparing muchová’s play style to a man’s pic.twitter.com/69lKXqxVyl
— Tennis world (@claygrasshard) August 31, 2024
The backlash was swift, and it wasn’t long before Evert issued an apology. The American legend acknowledged that the manner in which she did that commentary piece at the time, came out wrong and clarified that there was no harm intended in her statement.
i apologize if I offended you both, certainly not my intention. The power, mobility, and athleticism has improved so much, and many women I interview have men idols who they aspire to play like. Again, maybe my delivery could’ve been better, so sorry! https://t.co/mkCabOQ06y
— Chris Evert (@ChrissieEvert) August 30, 2024
However, in the same tweet, there were Evert’s supporters who brought out the point that live, on-air commentary for television in a match isn’t as easy as it is sounds or is made to look on screen. Perhaps, she could be forgiven for this as Muchova did remind many of Federer with her style of play.
Apart from Evert, Australian star Nick Kyrgios has also expressed his admiration for the Czech star. After her win against Naomi Osaka, Kyrgios couldn’t help but draw parallels between Muchová and Federer because of her imperious volleys.
In the post-match interview, Muchová responded by admitting that Federer has always been her inspiration. She also gave a nod to Kyrgios too, mentioning that she looks up to him for his serve and other top male players as well.
As Muchová moves forward, she’s set to face off Anastasia Potapova in her next match on Saturday morning, where all eyes will be on her. Not just for her impressive skills, but also for the conversations she’s sparked about gender in tennis.
