Former world number one
Chris Evert has apologised for her
remarks about
Karolina Muchova in the
US Open. The 28-year-old is currently taking
part in the fourth and the final Grand Slam of the year where she has booked
her place in the third round after beating Japan’s Naomi Osaka in straight sets
with a score of 6-3, 7-6.
Evert, after watching that match, was quoted by a user on social media where she called the Czech Republic’s tennis star playing like
‘a guy’. "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,” she said.
That comment did not go down well with the Tunisia’s tennis
star
Ons Jabeur, who, in a post on social media platform X — previously known
as Twitter — called for the end of ‘stereotyping’. “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 wrote.
Evert, while responding to Jabeur, apologised for her
comment and admitted that her choice of words could have been different. “I apologize
if I offended you both, certainly not my intention,” she wrote. “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.”
Muchova came into the competition hoping to replicate what
she achieved last season where she played in the semifinal at the Flashing
Meadows. She will now face Anastasia Potapova of Russia in the round of 32. The
23-year-old booked her place in the next round after beating America’s Varvara Lepchenko
in straight sets with a score 6-3, 6-4.
