The Conversation (0)
Louis Dor
Jul 13, 2017
Sir Andy Murray was knocked out by Sam Querrey in the Men's Quarter Finals at Wimbledon yesterday.
Murray seemed hampered by injury in defeat to Querrey, who has now knocked out the defending champion in successive Wimbledon championships.
In post match interviews, Querrey's form was remarked upon by a reporter, who made an error in his analysis that Murray was quick to correct.
Murray was of course referencing Serena and Venus Williams, the American tennis players who have dominated the women's game for decades.
Judy Murray, Andy's mother, a tennis coach, former player, honorary doctor and OBE winner in her own right, was clearly pleased:
It's not the first time Murray has called out these sort of questions, which casually overlook women competitors.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, he was asked by BBC presenter John Inverdale:
You’re the first person to ever win two Olympic tennis gold medals, that’s an extraordinary feat, isn’t it?
Murray replied:
Well to defend the singles title, I think Venus and Serena have won about four each … it’s obviously not an easy thing to do and I had to fight unbelievably hard to get it tonight as well.
He also declared himself a feminist while hitting back at what he saw as sexist criticism of his coach Amélie Mauresmo, in 2015:
He argued she faced criticism more because of her sex, and said that his male coaches never saw backlash when he lost:
The staggering thing was that she was slated every time I lost, which is something my former coaches never, ever experienced.
It wasn’t right.
I got off to a bad start last season and things have only got better since Amélie arrived.
I was ranked 11th in September 2014, I’m now ranked third – it speaks for itself.
They say I was plucky choosing Amélie but, truth be told, if anyone was plucky it was Amélie – she’s the one who’s taken the heat.
Her competence was always under fire.
I felt embarrassed.
He continued:
Have I become a feminist?
Well, if being a feminist is about fighting so that a woman is treated like a man then yes, I suppose I have.