Novak Djokovic said he’s “completely for women power” and acknowledges that women's tennis players endure more challenges — such as "hormones" — than their male counterparts.
But the world’s top-ranked men’s tennis player added that male tennis players should “fight” for more prize money than women.
“I applaud them for that, I honestly do, “Djokovic said, according to The Guardian. “They fought for what they deserve and they got it. On the other hand I think that our men’s tennis world, ATP world, should fight for more because the stats are showing that we have much more spectators on the men’s tennis matches. I think that’s one of the reasons why maybe we should get awarded more. Women should fight for what they think they deserve and we should fight for what we think we deserve.”
Djokovic's comments came hours after BNP Paribas Open CEO Raymond Moore made headlines Sunday at the Indian Wells, Calif., tournament when he said WTA players "ride on the coattails of the men."
“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," Moore said. "They really have.”
Moore apologized in a statement later Sunday.
“At the morning breakfast with the media, I made comments about the WTA that were in extremely poor taste and erroneous,” Moore wrote.
Djokovic, while maybe not as divisive, continued to wade into the sexism debate.
“I have tremendous respect for what women in global sport are doing and achieving,” Djokovic said after he secured the BNP Paribas Open title with a straight-set victory over Milos Raonic. “Their bodies are much different to men’s bodies. They have to go through a lot of different things that we don’t have to go through. You know, the hormones and different stuff.
“I have great admiration and respect for them to be able to fight on such a high level. Many of them have to sacrifice for certain periods of time, the family time or decisions that they make on their own bodies in order to play tennis and play professional sport.
“I have had a woman that was my coach and that was a huge part of my tennis career. I’m surrounded by women. I’m very happy to be married with one and to have a child. I’m completely for women power.”
