The former world number one is being harshly criticized by an ex-player. Her response is more than clear. She accuses her critic of bullying.
These are words that make you sit up and take notice: tennis star Caroline Wozniacki has sharply criticized a TV commentator on Instagram. Peter Bastiansen, who once played professional tennis himself, recently criticized the 35-year-old in the Danish tabloid “B.T.”
“She will never play tennis at the top level again. That ship has sailed,“ said the former pro about Wozniacki, who has not yet commented on whether she will continue her career after the birth of her third child in the summer. ”Why doesn’t she just say she’s quitting?“ asked Bastiansen, who commentates on tennis for TV 2. ”There would be nothing wrong with that. All the big sports stars announce something like that, I don’t understand it.“
The 63-year-old also said that he would find it ”ridiculous” if Wozniacki competed in the Australian Open in January. He also couldn’t imagine the Dane receiving a wild card.
Wozniacki now had some strong words for her critic. In her Instagram story, she wrote about him: “For more than 20 years, Peter Bastiansen has been bullying me, attacking me in the media and talking about things he knows nothing about.”
Wozniacki attacks Bastiansen: “You should know the rules”
But Wozniacki’s reckoning went even further. Addressing Bastiansen directly, she said: “Peter, you’re a clown, and as a ‘tennis expert’ you should know the rules. It can be difficult to keep track of things when you’ve never played at a high level yourself.”
Bastiansen reached a career-high ranking of 224 in the world rankings, never climbing higher. Wozniacki, on the other hand, was even number one in the WTA world rankings at one point. She spent a total of 71 weeks at the top. In 2018, she won her only Grand Slam title, the Australian Open. She reached the final of the US Open twice (2009 and 2014).
The tennis player emphasized that she did not need a wild card to participate in the Australian Open. She has a secure ranking as number 71 in the world, which allows her to participate in major tournaments. Wozniacki has a protected ranking due to her pregnancy. This allows her to continue participating in tournaments as a seeded player despite her forced break.
Bastiansen does not want to “get involved in a war of words”
“After many years of hard training and tennis at the highest level, I have the right to do what is best for my family,” Wozniacki also wrote. She also took a shot at the media for giving Bastiansen a platform. “I don’t understand why TV 2, ‘B.T.’ and other media outlets continue to use his quotes when there are many, many better experts in Denmark,” Wozniacki said.
Bastiansen’s response to the attack was not long in coming. “I don’t want to get involved in a war of words,” he told B.T. “I said one thing and now she’s saying something else. She has every right to do so.”