'The View' hosts jump to Serena Williams' defense, smash Roger Federer, amid latest controversy
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Tennis legend Roger Federer copped a serve Tuesday as “The View” hosts weighed in on the latest controversy surrounding Serena Williams.
Thiem accused Williams on Saturday of having a “bad personality” after he was booted out of his press conference to make room for the superstar following her French Open loss. Thiem was in the middle of talking to the media following his win when he was interrupted.
DOMINIC THIEM SAYS SERENA WILLIAMS HAS 'BAD PERSONALITY' AFTER PRESS CONFERENCE INTERRUPTION
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Whoopi Goldberg, political commentator Ana Navarro, and lawyer Sunny Hostin all sided with Williams over the incident.
“Listen, man, don’t nobody know who you are,” Goldberg said of Thiem. “You may be big in the tennis world, but this is a big deal that she was out this early. People want to know what’s happening, how she doing -- and I don’t think she actually wanted to talk to anybody about losing. ‘Oh yes, let’s talk about my loss so early in the French Open,’ I don’t think that was her plan! Don’t blame her! Stop being a bonehead, don’t blame her.”
Navarro chimed in that it wasn’t Williams’ fault she interrupted Thiem’s press conference.
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“She didn’t ask for him to be moved … they decided to move him to let the queen come in, OK. Just have a little self-awareness here. Serena Williams is right now a class by her own. Maybe one day you’ll be the king of tennis, but right now, we don’t know who you are,” she said.
SERENA WILLIAMS LOSES IN THIRD ROUND OF FRENCH OPEN TO FELLOW AMERICAN SOFIA KENIN
Hostin then expressed her frustration at Federer for defending Thiem. Federer said officials “should have kept Serena still in the locker room instead of the press center” and that he understood Thiem’s “frustration.”
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“I was surprised Roger Federer came out and also was defending Thiem’s position and saying this is unfair. He should know better. Serena is the queen,” Hostin said.
The only panelist to defend Thiem was Tara Setmayer.
SERENA WILLIAMS' EMPOWERING FRENCH OPEN JACKET PRAISED AFTER CATSUIT CONTROVERSY
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“I disagree with you guys. I like Serena Williams, she’s a phenomenal player, historic. But I also think how you lose says a lot about you. This isn’t the first time she’s been a bit of a diva when she’s lost. If she was saying, ‘I just want to get it over with’ … the other guy actually won his match. Whoever made the decision, it wasn’t a good look all the way around. She could have said, ‘Wait a minute, we’re going to interrupt this?’ There are a lot of people who lose with grace,” Setmayer said.
Williams lost in the third round to fellow American Sofia Kenin in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5. Kenin hadn’t won a French Open match until this year.
It was the earliest Williams had lost in a major since 2014, when she was defeated in the third round at Wimbledon to Alize Cornet
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Williams, who has 23 major titles, hasn’t won a Grand Slam event since the 2017 Australian Open. She will look to rebound next month at Wimbledon – where she hasn’t won since 2016.