US Open star taken aback after being grilled on controversial comments made about her
Chris Evert sparked backlash for her comments about Karolina Muchova's game.
Karolina Muchova was taken aback when she was asked about Chris Evert’s controversial opinion on her game.
The retired tennis legend landed herself in hot water when she said the Czech star played “like a guy” when she beat Naomi Osaka in round two, with Ons Jabeur and Nick Kyrgios criticising the comparison.
Evert has since apologised. But Muchova didn’t respond to her comments until after her third-round victory on Saturday, admitting she “wasn’t ready” to respond.
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Muchova sent two-time former champion Osaka packing on Thursday, winning 6-3 7-6(5). The 28-year-old has a powerful game with plenty of variety and Osaka struggled to find answers on the court. And it sparked a controversial comparison from Evert.
“She plays like a guy. She wants to play like a guy. The guys have bigger serves than the women, they have better volleys for the most part, they move a little bit better,” the 18-time Grand Slam champion said. But her comments quickly sparked a row.
Muchova has now responded for the first time, though it appeared the former world No. 8 wasn’t aware of Evert’s remarks. “Chris Evert compared your game to a man's game style. Would you take that as a compliment? I think Ons Jabeur wasn't too happy with that,” a reporter told her during Saturday’s post-match press conference.
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The Czech player cut them off and asked: “Ons Jabeur wasn't happy with that?” The reporter continued: “She said you don't have to base that on the gender, the strength. Would you take that as a compliment? Would you say that's true?”
While Muchova disagreed, she seemed surprised by the question. “I don't think I play like a man. I don't know what to say about that. I don't really know what she said,” she replied.
“But yeah, obviously I took some inspiration from let's name Roger Federer or Djokovic. I like to follow what they do. Then it kind of inspires me. I don't think I play that way. But, yeah, I wasn't ready to comment on this one.”
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It comes after Jabeur called Evert out on X (formerly known as Twitter). “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?” she tweeted.
And Kyrgios agreed with the three-time Grand Slam finalist. “I agree! SHE WAS AMAZING. why does it matter, her volleys were amazing, she was unreal,” he replied. Their tweets caught Evert’s attention and she apologised.
The American wrote: “i apologise 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!”
