Advertisement

'Bonehead': Whoopi Goldberg slams Dominic Thiem in Serena Williams controversy

Whoopi Goldberg has launched a scathing attack on Dominic Thiem after the Austrian tennis said Serena Williams had a “bad personality”.

Thiem was left fuming on Sunday after his press conference was cut short to allow Serena to take over the main interview room at Roland Garros.

Thiem was discussing his third-round win over Pablo Cuevas with German language journalists when he was told he would need to leave the room.

The fourth seed was understandably unhappy, saying: "I don't really get it, seriously. What the hell? But it's a joke, really. What's the point of that, that I have to leave the room because she's coming?"

But according to Goldberg and her fellow panellists on The View, Thiem should have given way to Serena because “don’t nobody know who you are.”

“You may be big in the tennis world but this a big deal that Serena lost this early,” Goldberg said.

“People want to know how she’s doing.

“Don’t blame her, stop being a bonehead.”

Fellow panellist Ana Navarro had a similar stance.

“They decided to move him to let ‘the Queen’ come in,” the political commentator said.

“Have a little self awareness here, Serena Williams is in a class of her own and maybe one day you’ll be the King of tennis, but right now we don’t know who you are.”

Whoopi Goldberg has blasted Dominic Thiem. Image: The View/Getty
Whoopi Goldberg has blasted Dominic Thiem. Image: The View/Getty

Lawyer Sunny Hostin said she was surprised Roger Federer defended Thiem over the ugly incident.

“He should know better, Serena is the Queen,” she said.

However fellow political commentator Tara Setmayer appeared to see some sense.

“I disagree with you guys. I like Serena Williams, she’s a phenomenal player, historic,” she said.

“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.”

The views of the women didn’t go down very well in the tennis world.

‘Doesn’t matter who it is’

It is understood that while Williams did not request for Thiem to be ousted, she was unwilling to wait for the Austrian to finish and the second interview room was also in use, leaving organisers in a difficult position.

The American was not in the best of moods having been beaten by Sofia Kenin in her earliest loss at a grand slam for five years.

Tournament director Guy Forget apologised to Thiem for the incident and, speaking to Eurosport on Sunday, the 25-year-old was in no mood to forgive Williams.

He said: "I wasn't angry or frustrated. Maybe for a couple of minutes or so. It is just the principle.

"It doesn't matter if it is me who sits in there. Even if a junior is in there, every player has to wait.

"It is a matter of course. It also shows a bad personality, in my opinion. I am 100 per cent sure (Roger) Federer or (Rafael) Nadal would never do something like that."

with AAP