US Open 2024: Tennis Fans Roar at ESPN as Chris Evert’s Commentary on Gauff and Navarro Sparks Outrage
The ongoing US Open has been full of surprises, and not just on the court! This year, the commentators are sharing the spotlight as well, but not always for the best reasons. Amidst the fierce competition and thrilling matches, some of the commentary has sparked its own set of controversies. Chris Evert, a legend in her own right, has found herself at the center of the latest uproar. As the tournament heats up, so does the backlash against her.
As Coco Gauff and Emma Navarro took over each other in the fourth round, tennis enthusiasts anticipated a thrilling encounter with the high stakes involved in the match. But they seem to be agitated by the continuous statements made by Evert, who is commentating on the match as part of her commitment with ESPN.
Taking to the social networking site X, several fans expressed their anger and requested Evert to cut down her commentary, to let the match take its natural course. They even tagged ESPN for the commentary by Evert. This is not the first time when Evert has received such a backlash for her commentary. The fans earlier called her out over insensitive comments about Naomi Osaka.
Although Evert was only praising Osaka’s outfit, as she said, “I like the dress…it suits her, it suits the Japanese culture,” some of the fans didn’t take kindly to it and accused Evert of taking a dig at the Japanese culture. Now during the match between Gauff and Navarro, Evert’s commentary is once again back under the spotlight with fans lashing at her commentary.
Chris Evert receives immense backlash for her ‘ruining’ Coco Gauff and Emma Navarro’s match
Taking to X, one user wrote, “@espn can someone tell Chris Evert she doesn’t have to constantly yap – sometimes being quiet and letting tennis happen is perfect! her constant dribble is killing the vibe.” Evert’s commentary during Gauff’s match received backlash earlier as well during the match between Coco Gauff and Elina Svitolina. Despite Elina Svitolina dominating the proceedings initially during the third round of the match against Gauff, Evert constantly praised the American and talked only about her while not recognizing Svitolina’s efforts. This angered the fans immensely who lashed out at the former tennis player for her commentary.
One more user responded similarly. Taking a dig at Evert’s commentary, another netizen wrote, “Me: Turns on TV to watch Coco play TV: Chris Evert starts speaking Me: Mutes TV -continues to watch the game, but WILL not unmute Her commentary tortures me to listen 😭😭😭😭 Sigh…😔.” Evert is well-known for being a staunch advocate for Gauff, and American players in general. Even ahead of the US Open, when she was put on the spot during an ESPN broadcast, Evert confidently stated, “I will pick Coco Gauff to win this tournament.” But this hasn’t been received well by the fans.
One more user joined in the fray and wrote, “Chris Evert is so constantly negative towards the women on the court whose matches she calls. She and Martina need to go away. #USOpen.” The 18-time Grand Slam winner also found herself in controversy for her remarks against Karolina Muchova at the US Open. Speaking about Muchova, Evert said, “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, and they move a little bit better.” For that, Evert received immense criticism from not just fans, but also players like Ons Jabeur for the statement. The series of backlashes continued.
Taking to X, one more user commented “@espn Only @cbfowler and Chris Evert could ruin this great match between Navarro and Gauff. Please shut up!” Chris Evert is someone who always speaks her mind and although there has been a lot of criticism around her commentary at the US Open this year, one can expect her to continue speaking her mind.
