Nelly Korda — America’s golden girl of golf — found herself in the middle of a very un-golden social media storm this week, and surprisingly, it all started with… Wimbledon. Yes, Wimbledon. While tennis fans were glued to Centre Court drama, Nelly unintentionally stole the spotlight — and not in the way anyone expected.
The twist? Korda wasn’t competing in the tournament, of course. Instead, she made a playful crossover appearance at a celebrity-studded charity exhibition match held on the sacred lawns of SW19. The event was meant to be light-hearted, full of fun — but the internet didn’t see it that way.
Mid-rally, Nelly slipped and face-planted during a point — right in front of the cameras. Naturally, the clip went viral within hours, making its way to every meme page, now accompanied by slow-motion replays and dramatic classical music.
Soon after, Korda took to Instagram with what seemed like a cheeky, harmless caption:
“Well… Wimbledon 1, Korda 0 🫠 Let’s just say I’ll stick to the greens, not the grass!”
Harmless? Not according to a portion of the internet.
“Glad she thinks it’s a joke,” one commenter snapped.
“Meanwhile, real athletes are battling at Centre Court and she’s making light of it?” wrote another.
Ouch.
Some tennis purists weren’t laughing, accusing Korda of “mocking the sport” and calling her appearance “tourist energy.” One viral post read:
“Respect the game. If Serena fell, she’d get up and win. Nelly falls and posts a selfie.”
Others piled on, dissecting the caption as a lack of respect for tennis. But Korda’s fans quickly clapped back.
“It’s a charity match, not the U.S. Open. She’s an elite athlete having fun—relax,” one fan wrote.
The drama didn’t end there. Even ESPN and TikTok gossip accounts picked up the story, debating whether Korda was playfully self-aware or unintentionally tone-deaf.
Then came sister Jessica Korda’s cryptic comment on the post:
“Bet you still look glam falling on grass 💅”
Translation: She’s totally fine. But the internet? Still split.
In an effort to cool things down, Nelly shared a follow-up on her Instagram Story:
“Much love to the tennis world — I’m in awe of your talent! No shade, just bruised knees (and ego).”
Whether you see it as a harmless joke, a social media fumble, or just an unfortunate case of “wrong place, wrong platform,” one thing’s certain — even when she’s off the green, Nelly Korda knows how to make headlines.
