14 Times Athletes Called Out Rude Interviewers
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Being a star athlete often comes with media attention. However, some interviewers seem to be more interested in getting a strong reaction than a good story, so they ask questions they probably shouldn’t.
Here are 14 times famous athletes shut down inappropriate or rude interviewers:
You can watch the full clip at the 0:30 mark in the video below:
2.
Similarly, during a US Open press conference in 2015, Serena Williams gave an honest response to a reporter who asked why she wasn’t smiling.
3.
At the 2017 Australian Open, Serena called out a journalist who congratulated her for winning but then insulted her performance.
Watch the full clip below:
4.
At the 2016 Olympics, tennis player Andy Murray corrected BBC broadcaster John Inverdale when he ignored Venus and Serena Williams’s incredible accomplishments.
Watch the full clip below:
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Similarly, Andy was quick to correct another reporter who ignored the Williams sisters’ accomplishments during Wimbledon 2017.
You can watch the full clip below, starting at the 0:19 mark:
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At the 2023 Belgian GP, Lewis Hamilton declined to fully answer a “personal” question from Sky Sports reporter Craig Slater.
Here’s the full clip, with this line of questioning starting at the 0:36 mark:
7.
At the 2022 World Championships, an interviewer asked Olympic sprinter Shericka Jackson if she “believed” in the validity of the world record Florence Griffith Joyner set in 1988.
Here’s the full clip, with this part starting at the 0:36 mark:
8.
During a 2015 conference call, a reporter asked Ronda Rousey about her boyfriend, UFC heavyweight Travis Browne, so she hung up.
Soon after, during a UFC 193 workout, another interviewer asked her why she hung up on the conference call. She shouted, “Next question!”
9.
In 2023, NBA player Giannis Antetokounmpo turned a reporter’s question about failure into a lesson about the value of hard work.
Watch the full video below:
10.
During the 2015 Australian Open, commentator Ian Cohen asked tennis pro, Eugenie Bouchard, to twirl for the camera. Following backlash to his request, she offered a solution during a later press conference.
Here’s a video with both clips, showing the twirl question at the 0:20 mark and her response at the 0:50 mark:
11.
When Michael Phelps arrived home from the 2016 Olympics, a Good Morning Arizona crew greeted him at the airport. They pushed for an interview, but he said, “I’m not answering any questions, guys. If you could give me that space while I try to get my family home and safe, I would appreciate that. If you guys want to do an interview, you can contact my agents.”
He walked away with his partner and child, but the questions continued. Stopping, he said, “I appreciate you guys coming, but I’m trying to get my family home safe, and that’s what matters the most. Thank you for understanding.”
12.
During a press conference after the 2017 IAAF World Championships, Usain Bolt called out a reporter who tried to link the competitors’ lower run times to stronger anti-doping controls.
Watch the full clip below:
13.
On a 2023 episode of The RE-CAP Show podcast, soccer player Kosovare Asllani, who’s a midfielder on Sweden’s national team, said, “I had an interview with an American journalist yesterday, and he was talking so much in a question. I was like, ‘How can you ask me this?’ He asked basically, ‘Oh, the US are talking about the American team is so over, you know, la, la, la.’ And I was like, ‘Don’t talk shit about the American team.’ That’s basically what I said. I was like, ‘You can’t say this.'”
She continued, “The US Women’s National Team, they’re pioneers. I mean, you are raising the game. You are opening doors for the rest of the community, the rest of the world. You are first with everything.”
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And finally, at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, F1 driver Lando Norris defended journalist Mariana Becker from a rude reporter.