Sara Bejlek, a Czech tennis player, has spoken on the controversy surrounding the video of her coach and her father celebrating their qualification for the US Open
The 16-year-old upset British player Heather Watson in the final round of qualifying to move on to the main draw of the hard-court grand slam. After experiencing one of her career’s pinnacle moments, Bejlek was overcome with emotion and embraced her father Jaroslav Bejlek and coach Jakub Kahoun at the side of the court.
Sara Bejlek Opens Up On Viral Twitter Video Of Her Father And Coach Feeling Her Up At The US Open 2022
Tennis star, Sara Bejlek's father has sparked outrage for the way he celebrated her huge qualifying win at the US Open.
The 16-year-old Czech is set to make her grand slam debut at the tournament after winning the qualifying rounds in New York over Britain's Heather Watson pic.twitter.com/NCvWAq4vFo
— yinksukblog (@yinksukblog) August 30, 2022
Although Bejlek’s father and coach could both be seen patting her on the backside while hugging her, the celebrations left many spectators perplexed. The 16-year-old and her father also kissed each other on the lips.
This gesture was not endorsed by Twitter.
“There’s absolutely no justification to touch a 16-year-old girl on her butt like that,” one user commented on social media. It is completely unacceptable. The video became worse and worse as it went along.
Another person said that he is sorry, but one shouldn’t be repeatedly patting her on the rear whether it’s her dad or her coach, a relative, etc. Others termed the video as very strange.
Creepy coaches #WTA #USOpen #Bejlek
She’s 16 😳😱 pic.twitter.com/8ORvrHTVkX— Eggy 🥚 (@TheBoiledEgg) August 27, 2022
¡SE DESATA LA POLÉMICA! 😳
El entrenador y papá de la joven de 16 años Sara Bejlek han sido criticados por "tocamientos inapropiados", al darle una nalgada a la jugadora tras el festejo en el #USOpen 👀 pic.twitter.com/JsxUrjD6oY
— Saque Ace (@AceSaque) August 28, 2022
In response to the uproar around the video, Sara Bejlek apologised.
Bejlek addressed the controversy at the US Open on Wednesday, calling the exchanges spontaneous and vowing that it wouldn’t occur again. She said that the entire crew reacted on the spur of the moment and they were happy It may appear awkward and inconvenient to some, but they had already talked about it with the team, and it won’t happen again, Bejlejk continued. And since she was eight years old, she has known the coach not her dad.
In the Czech Republic, if something similar happened, nobody would deal with it. Since they discussed it and agreed that it wouldn’t happen again, but since they are in America, everyone has an opinion on it.
Bejlek presently holds a career-high position
Bejlek presently holds a career-high position of 181 in the world. Her US Open campaign came to an end in the first round as she was defeated by Russian Ludmilla Samsonova, 3-6, 1-6. The good news is that she will receive US$80,000 as compensation for making the main draw of the US Open.