BNP Paribas Open CEO and tournament director Raymond Moore on Sunday provoked outrage with controversial comments he made before the women’s and men’s finals at Indian Wells, and later issued an official apology.
The 69-year-old South African had earlier told reporters that top-level women’s players rode “on the coattails of the men,” did not make any decisions and were “very, very lucky” to have equal prize money, sparking a firestorm on social media.
Moore also singled out Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard and Spaniard Garbine Muguruza as being among the “very attractive prospects” on the WTA circuit tour, before explaining that they were “physically attractive and competitively attractive.”
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic said Moore’s comments were “not politically correct” and that women players had “fought for what they deserve, and they got it.”
However, he also suggested the men’s tour should receive more money as it draws more fans.
“On the other hand, I think that our men’s tennis world ... should fight for more, because the stats are showing that we have much more spectators on the men’s tennis matches,” Djokovic said. “I think that’s one of the reasons why maybe we should get awarded more.”
Moore, in a statement which he issued later in the day, said: “At my morning breakfast with the media, I made comments about the WTA that were in extremely poor taste and erroneous.”
“I am truly sorry for those remarks, and apologize to all the players and WTA as a whole,” he added.
“We had a women’s final today that reflects the strength of the players, especially Serena [Williams] and Victoria [Azarenka], and the entire WTA. Again, I am truly sorry for my remarks,” Moore said.
Moore, a former ATP Tour player who won eight doubles titles during the 1970s and early 1980s, issued his apology after former world No. 1 Azarenka had beaten an error-prone Williams 6-4, 6-4 in the women’s final.
Williams, when asked in her post-match news conference about Moore’s initial comments, replied: “Those remarks are very much mistaken and very, very, very inaccurate.”
Moore landed himself in hot water when he said during his annual breakfast with media covering the Indian Wells event: “You know, 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.”
“They don’t make any decisions and they are lucky. They are very, very lucky. 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,” he said.
Moore went on to say that Muguruza and Bouchard were among a “handful of very attractive prospects” who could take up the mantle in the women’s game.
When asked what he meant by attractive, he replied: “They are physically attractive and competitively attractive. They can assume the mantle of leadership once Serena decides to stop.”
Billie Jean King, who cofounded the WTA Tour and has long been a pioneer in the women’s game, said on Twitter: “Disappointed in #RaymondMoore comments. He is wrong on so many levels. Every player, especially the top players, contribute to our success.”
Fellow US player Chris Evert, an 18-time Grand Slam champion, said on Twitter: “Now is the Golden Era 4 men, no doubt, but women have worked,fought harder,and have been bigger draws many times.”
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
Aaliyah Edwards on Monday pulled off the stunner of the opening round of the Unrivaled one-on-one tournament, beating top-seeded Breanna Stewart 12-0. The tournament to be played over three days featured 23 of the WNBA’s 36 players. A few had other commitments and a couple others were out with injuries. Stewart got the ball first against Edwards and missed a contested layup. Edwards then hit a three-pointer from the corner and a jumper from the elbow to go up 5-0. The player who scores keeps the basketball. Edwards hit two layups and a three-pointer to seal the win. Stewart, a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player,
SPEEDSKATER: Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s run at the Asian Winter Games without a medal since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990 Speedskater Chen Ying-chu yesterday made history as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the Asian Winter Games. Competing at the HIC Speedskating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 10.510 seconds in the women’s 100m event, finishing third behind South Koreans Lee Na-hyum and Kim Min-sun, who posted times of 10.501 and 10.505 seconds respectively. Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s drought at the Asian Winter Games since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990. This year’s Games mark Chen’s debut at the event. Previously excelling in roller speedskating, she won six medals at world championships before transitioning
The 40-year-old LeBron James on Thursday became the oldest player to score 40 points in an NBA game, putting up a season-high 42 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors. James passed the record held by Michael Jordan, his idol and the only other NBA player to score 40 after his 40th birthday. “I’m old, that’s my take,” James said when asked about his latest achievement. “I need a glass of wine and some sleep, that’s what I think.” Jordan did it for the Washington Wizards just three days after turning 40 in February 2003. James is 38