Sports News: Tennis Tournament Chief Steps Down After Receiving Backlash for the Offensive Remarks
On Monday night, BNP Paribas Open tournament director Raymond Moore stepped down from his post after receiving rage from players around the world regarding his comments about women players.
According to The New York Daily News, tournament owner Larry Ellison said in a statement that Moore informed him of his decision to leave the $7 million event earlier in the day. "Ray let me know that he has decided to step down from his roles as CEO and tournament director effective immediately. I fully understand his decision," he said.
While there were no other details given about the reason for his resignation, some believe that he opted to step down due to the backlash he received from tennis fans and professional players alike.
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During an interview on Sunday, Moore said, "In my next life when I come back I want to be someone in the WTA because they ride on the coattails of the men," referring to lady competitors. He later apologized for his remarks and even specifically mentioned the strength that Serena Williams showed during the game's finals.
According to BBC News, Williams said Moore's comments were "offensive and very inaccurate." While the multiple award winning tennis player lost the Indian Wells finals on Sunday, she and other women players won't take Moore's statements easily.
Novak Djokovic, while he said that the 69-year-old's remarks were not correct in terms of politics, he suggested that men should be given more prize money than ladies since more people watch the competitions between men in the sport.
For Djokovic, contestants should be given prize money based on who gets more interest in terms of views from people. Djokovic added that games between men tennis pros get more tickets than the matches among ladies.
For former Great Britain Fed Cup captain Judy Murray, the issue is more about thinking carefully about what one has to say before saying things, especially on such topics that tackle gender roles in the sports community.
