Andy Murray says tennis can lead the way for equal standing among men and women in sports, where there is still a lot of work to do.
Murray has frequently spoken in favor of equal prize money and attention, and he also worked with Amelie Mauresmo between 2014 and 2016, becoming the most prominent male player to have had a female coach on tour.
“My experience of working with Amelie Mauresmo gave me a small insight into attitudes to women in sport,” he wrote in an article for BBC. He added, “she wasn’t always treated the same as men in similar jobs.”
Murray plans to keep advocating for female players, saying, “Anyone who has spent any time with any of the top women will know that they make those same sacrifices and are as determined and committed to winning as any of the top men on the tour.”Still, Murray described tennis as generally better than a lot of other sports in terms of equality.
“And it’s great that all the Slams pay their male and female champions the same. No other sport is doing as much as tennis, and it’s great to be part of a sport that is leading the way,” said the three-time Grand Slam champion. “Hopefully tennis can put pressure on other sports to do the same.
“Female sportswomen rarely get as much air-time as men, and there are still not enough women in the top jobs in sport, but things are improving,” he added. “Now they are getting much more exposure which is great.
“If more girls can see women competing at a top level, it will hopefully encourage more girls into sport across the board.”
Murray also backed a suggestion by the BBC “about girls and boys playing sport together until adolescence,” saying that tennis was again a good example.
“Having a mother who was as interested and involved in sport as mine was, it has always felt very natural for me that girls should be as engaged in sport as boys,” he said. “In tennis, we benefit, of course, from having the game of mixed doubles, so men and women, boys and girls, are used to this idea.”
He would like more sports to do the same for younger athletes.
“Playing mixed sport has huge benefits, like making friendships, building confidence and saving money for schools and clubs. So much at an early age is about ball skills, hand-eye coordination and generating a competitive spirit anyway—and not about strength and speed,” he said.
The 31-year-old is currently sidelined with a hip injury.
