"If you get the right room...": Caroline Wozniacki mocks Steve Johnson over Eastbourne hotel after bizarre pigeon story

Caroline Wozniacki has come to the defence of Eastbourne's The Grand hotel after Steve Johnson recalled an unusual experience involving pigeons in his room, prompting a humorous exchange between several tennis players.

The former world No. 1 disagreed with the American's assessment of the accommodation, suggesting that his experience might have depended on which room he was given.

The debate began with a segment from the Nothing Major podcast, in which Sam Querrey, John Isner and Johnson put together what they called a "Tournament of Terror".

The former ATP players were asked to identify the worst tournaments across several categories, including location, hotel, transportation, food, facilities and courts. Eastbourne quickly became a talking point when the discussion turned to accommodation.

Johnson did not hesitate when asked to name the worst tournament hotel. "Eastbourne. Awful. All of them are awful," he said, before adding, "Terrible. I like the tournament itself, though."

Querrey then revealed the reason behind his teammate's particularly negative impression: "Stevie had pigeons in his room in Eastbourne."

Johnson confirmed the story and offered to provide evidence of the incident. "I had pigeons," the former world No. 21 said. "I'll send a video of my room in Eastbourne. I'll send it in. You guys will see it."

After the podcast discussion circulated, Wozniacki joined the conversation on social media, offering a very different assessment of the hotel. "I disagree! Eastbourne the grand is nice!….. if you get the right room 😂," the Dane wrote.

Her response added another layer to the exchange, with the former world No. 1 appearing to joke that her experience of the hotel might have been rather different from Johnson's.

As one of the biggest stars on the WTA Tour during her playing career, Wozniacki was accustomed to travelling as a leading name in the sport and could enjoy a level of attention and accommodation that was not necessarily available to every player. Her reference to getting the right room played into that contrast.

Isner responded to her comment with a light-hearted admission: "Never stayed at the grand like you".

Querrey also joined the fun, tagging Isner and Johnson while writing: "was at the pigeon inn". Johnson then delivered another punchline, replying: "Brutal. Grand would have been a mild step up".

The exchange attracted further amusement from other players, including Chris Eubanks and Zizou Bergs, as the story moved beyond the original podcast conversation. While Johnson's experience was clearly not one he wanted to repeat, Wozniacki's intervention suggested that The Grand had not left the same impression on everyone.

The podcast segment covered several other aspects of the professional tennis circuit, with Isner and Querrey identifying tournaments they had found particularly frustrating. Beijing was Isner's choice for the worst location, while Rome received criticism for its transportation arrangements. Querrey described the uncertainty surrounding player pick-ups at the Italian tournament, recalling occasions when players and coaches were left with inadequate transport despite carrying several bags.

"Sometimes they'd just be like, 'Oh, there's a football game going on. No transport today,'" Querrey recalled. Isner agreed that Rome was the obvious choice, while Querrey described situations in which a small car would arrive for a player and coach travelling with six bags.

Delray Beach, meanwhile, received praise rather than criticism when the conversation turned to food. Both Isner and Johnson selected the Florida tournament as their favourite in that category. Madrid was less fortunate, with its facilities singled out for criticism. "The locker rooms are brutal," Isner said, prompting Querrey to agree that the tournament could benefit from a warmer interior design.

The final category was the court itself, with Isner returning to the old grass courts in Newport, Rhode Island. "Those grass courts were diabolical," he said, although he clarified that he had enjoyed the experience before the courts were renovated. Johnson agreed with the description, adding that players who struggled on the surface could find themselves "in a mental pretzel".

The podcast was framed as a light-hearted exercise rather than a serious assessment of the tournaments involved, and the players made clear that they appreciated the events despite their complaints.

However, Johnson's pigeon story provided an especially entertaining talking point, particularly after Wozniacki stepped in to defend The Grand. As her response suggested, the quality of a tournament hotel might depend on more than just its name.