“You should apologize. Do you want to apologize?”
One hapless reporter learned what happens when you’re unduly critical of an athlete’s play. Specifically when that athlete is tennis icon and legend Serena Williams. In a press conference following her 6-3, 6-4 victory over Lucie Safarova in the second round of the Australian Open, Serena Williams was questioned by one reporter about her lackluster performance.
The big issue being that, according to all accounts, including Serena herself, she didn’t play poorly. She played well. Feeling objective about things, Serena took exception to the criticism and let the reporter know that they were incorrect, and an apology was in order.
Here’s the (hilarious) transcript of the exchange:
A rule to live by: don't tell Serena Williams she played bad, especially when she definitely didn't. This poor guy.… https://t.co/vz7v4uDPnK— Ben Rothenberg (@Ben Rothenberg) 1484826407.0
Normally, I wouldn’t be gung-ho about any subject insisting that an interviewer apologize for a question that had no ill intent behind it, but something about this just strikes the right chord. Maybe it’s the fact that, as soon as the reporter apologized, Serena moved right along, answering the question they had asked of her.
She even remains professional when reporters fear her wrath. Nicely done, Serena.
Share on Facebook
