Andy Maher has taken aim at a reporter from The Times of London for their line of questioning towards Australian tennis player Ajla Tomljanovic.
Tomljanovic’s terrific campaign at Wimbledon ended overnight in a three-set quarter-final loss to 17th seed Elena Rybakina.
Soon after being eliminated from the All England Club tournament in heartbreaking fashion, Tomljanovic entered the press conference visibly upset after suffering consecutive quarter-final defeats at Wimbledon.
Instead of being asked about her terrific display of tennis, Tomljanovic was peppered with questions about her previous relationship with Nick Kyrgios and the alleged assault charges that he’s set to face in regard to an incident with his former partner Chiara Passari.
“I'm not really aware of what's being said, the allegations,” Tomljanovic told the reporter.
“It's been a while since our relationship ended. Obviously I've always kept my relationship very private. I would like to keep it like that.
“I'm definitely against domestic violence. I hope it gets resolved. But I haven't had that experience with him."
Upset with the line of questioning from the journalist, the 29-year-old took to Twitter in frustration.
“Quite disappointing that after almost 2 hours of player my quarterfinals that that was the first question the journalist chose to ask me, and never proceeded to ask anything match related,” she said.
“Glad to see headlines mostly about that now. Do better.”
Labelling the line of questioning as “outrageous” and “appalling”, Maher didn’t hold back his anger toward the journalist.
“Ajla Tomljanovic plays her guts out and gets beaten in a quarter-final, arguably the biggest match of her life, walks into the post-game press conference and is happy to take questions about the tennis and the first two questions from the English journalist is that,” Maher said on SEN's The Run Home.
“There is no wonder the punters out there, and this is not just a British thing it’s a global thing, no wonder the punters have a lowering regard by the year for journalists when that’s the sort of crap that someone thinks they have the right to produce straight after a tennis player has just lost a quarter-final at Wimbledon.
“That is outrageous, that is appalling, if you think that’s your only crack at getting a grab for your grubby story that you’re going to write, wait til the end once every tennis question has been asked and then politely request if you can ask one question or two.
“It’s a legitimate news story, but don’t front up at the start of the that and hit her between the eyes at a moment she’s clearly devastated and go there.
“That’s pathetic.
“It diminishes her achievements, it puts her achievements secondary to the Nick Kyrgios story. No wonder there’s enormous frustration in the minds of many female athletes and supporters of gender equity when that’s the sort of stuff that some human being feels entitled to put another one through at a time when her career is in the assent – it’s just woeful.
“I thought she handled herself absolutely magnificently.”
Apologising for - knowing it’s the wrong thing to do - but then asking those questions anyway is shithouse on so many levels. Is it any wonder journalists are held an increasingly soiled regard. https://t.co/5rz6zHajl5
— Andy Maher (@AndyMaherDFA) July 7, 2022
Quite disappointing that after almost 2 hours of playing my quarterfinals that that was the first question the journalist chose to ask me, and never proceeded to ask anything match related. Glad to see headlines mostly about that now. Do better 😤 https://t.co/ygoUDe1XBb
— Ajla Tomljanovic (@Ajlatom) July 6, 2022