He also said: “If I was a lady player, I’d go down every night on my knees and thank God that Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal were born, because they have carried this sport”. “They can assume the mantle of leadership once Serena decides to stop”. “I think those remarks are very much mistaken and very, very, very inaccurate”.
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Azarenka got two early breaks at the beginning of both sets against Williams before closing out the match in front of a crowd of about 15,000 on the main stadium court when Williams sailed yet another forehand long.
Moore was asked if the WTA Tour should change its designation for the Indian Wells tournament, which is a premier mandatory event, to raise its status even higher. Moore became the event’s CEO in 2012.
“Definitely not the game plan”, Williams said. But those admiring words, and the showcase day of the tournament he runs, were overshadowed by Moore’s remarks about women’s place in the game. “I think I probably was trying to hit through nerves. I’m sure he does, too”, she said.
“Roland Garros has been and is this year again one of the top priorities of the season”, Djokovic said.
“I feel like that is such a disservice to her and every female, not only a female athlete but every woman on this planet, that has ever tried to stand up for what they believed in and being proud to be a woman”. “We shouldn’t have to drop to our knees at any point”.
Williams is the world’s No. 1 in the WTA’s singles rankings – a spot she first held in 2002, and which she has now held for three years. “I’m completely for women power”.
“Last year the women’s final at the US Open sold out well before the men”.
Heading into the contest Azarenka and Serena’s sister, Venus, were the only players to have beaten Williams three times in finals.
Djokovic needed just 77 minutes to send Raonic packing in one of the quickest men’s finals in the four decade history of the California desert tournament.
King later tweeted: “Disappointed in (hashtag) Raymond Moore comments”. He is wrong on so many levels.
Moore would subsequently apologize for his remarks, calling them “extremely erroneous” and “in poor taste” (no shit.) But they still managed to cast a shadow on the Paribas women’s final, which saw Azarenka defeat Williams 6-4, 6-4 to take the title – so much so that both women were asked about the controversy in their postmatch press conferences.
Speaking on court at the trophy presentation, Azarenka said: “I know how emotional it was for you to be back here and you truly inspired so many people out there to see the type of commitment you have to the game and it’s truly inspiring”.
The men’s victor Sunday was Djokovic, who said that Moore’s comments were “not politically correct”, as the BBC relays – but the news agency adds that the Serbian star also called for men to fight for more money.
Djokovic then added that he appreciated “the decisions that they make with their own bodies, you know, in order to play the tennis and to play the professional sport”, before adding, “I’m surrounded by women”. Those tournaments rank one slot below the four Grand Slams, which have awarded equal prize money since 2007 – when Wimbledon followed the same path the U.S. Open took back in 1973.
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Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka also criticized Moore’s comments after they played in the final Sunday.
