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Jon Wertheim, the veteran print and television journalist who can be seen on 60 Minutes regularly, has been indefinitely suspended by the Tennis Channel after making a comment about a player’s appearance.
In what appeared to be a hot-mic moment Friday, Wertheim mocked reigning Wimbledon women’s champion Barbora Krejčiková during what he said was a rehearsal that was not supposed to be aired.
In-studio hosts were shown reading notes, using their cellphones, and having their hair brushed as Wertheim was shown in the background getting his Zoom shot framed up.
“What do you think I am, Barbora Krejčiková? Look at the forehead when Krejčiková and [Qinwen] Zheng take the court,” Wertheim said. “Eight-head.”
This is the full transcript of what Jon Wertheim said;
— Pavvy G (@pavyg) November 10, 2024
"What do you think I am…erm Barbora Krejcikova? Look at the forehead when Krejicikova and Zheng take the court….8 head."
He has since issued a public apology and has been suspended by the Tennis Channel. pic.twitter.com/hkYRub3Slp
Wertheim apologized Sunday, calling his comments “deeply regrettable” and saying he had apologized to Krejčiková. The analyst said he made his comments off-air while he was framing up his camera shot.
“In rehearsal we were shown a graphic of a player who had just competed. It showed her at an angle that exaggerated her forehead,” Wertheim wrote. “I looked at the low camera angle and joked that it made my forehead resemble the photo of the player in question. 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.”
The Tennis Channel also posted a statement Sunday, saying it “immediately removed him from our air indefinitely” and apologized to the player.
“Jon has dedicated his career to shining a light on and growing this sport and has been a valued member of our family and the tennis community. That said, Tennis Channel holds its employees to a standard of respectfulness for others at all times, a standard that was not met in this moment,” the channel said.
Wertheim and the Tennis Channel did not respond to requests for clarification on how the off-air remarks found their way into the broadcast.
Krejčiková posted on social media early Sunday about the comments, which “focused on my appearance rather than my performance.”
“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,” Krejčiková said.
Wertheim has been with the Tennis Channel since 2012, and he won the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Eugene L. Scott Award in 2022. He has written for Sports Illustrated for more than 25 years and has been a correspondent for 60 Minutes since 2017. CBS News declined to comment, and Sports Illustrated did not return a request for comment.
Wertheim also works with the production company EverWonder Studio, which has made a number of sports docuseries for Netflix. According to his LinkedIn profile, he’s been a producer for the company since 2023. He’s listed as an executive producer on an upcoming documentary about tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. (EverWonder and Front Office Sports are both owned by RedBird IMI but operate independently.)
“I have known Jon for nearly 20 years. He is a person of great integrity and talent and [I] know his apology for the off-air remarks he made are heartfelt and genuine. We are proud to be in partnership with him on many projects here at EverWonder,” the company’s CEO Ian Orefice said in a statement.
