Chris Evert Denies Involvement in US Open Commentary Controversy

September 1, 2025 ─ Tennis legend Chris Evert found herself at the center of a social media storm today after a fan mistakenly accused her of biased commentary during Taylor Townsend’s dramatic fourth-round US Open match against Barbora Krejčíková. The mistaken claim prompted Evert to issue a swift and emphatic denial.

During Townsend’s three-set loss (1-6, 7-6 (13), 6-3), a viewer on X (formerly Twitter) lashed out at the commentator, alleging undue favoritism toward the American underdog. The fan tweeted, “Chris, I loved watching you but the way you’re commenting about the CZE girl is just evil. We know your bias is with Townsend, but try to mask it would you.” Believing Evert was on the call, the user ignited a wave of criticism online.

Shortly after, Evert-who was not part of the broadcast team for that match-returned fire with a concise all-caps rebuttal: “I AM NOT COMMENTATING THAT MATCH!!!!!!!!”

In reality, the commentary was handled by Adam Fielder alongside Lindsay Davenport, with no involvement from Evert. Despite stepping away from professional play in 1989, Evert remains a prominent voice in Grand Slam coverage, partnering with John McEnroe as lead coaches’ analyst for ESPN. Nonetheless, today’s mix-up underscores the ferocity of fan scrutiny and the rapid spread of misinformation in social media discourse.

Evert’s latest Twitter volley joins a series of headline-making commentary moments. She faced backlash at last year’s US Open for remarking that Karolína Muchová “plays like a guy,” and encountered fresh criticism this season for her analysis of Coco Gauff’s matches, including accusations of overemphasizing Gauff’s mistakes and underplaying opponents’ skill.

As Grand Slam tournaments continue to draw vast global audiences, commentators-no matter how storied their playing careers-are under intense pressure to maintain impartiality and insight. For now, Evert’s record remains untarnished by today’s incident, and she retains her role as one of tennis’s most respected analysts.