Serena has boosted men's game – Murray
Men’s tennis has a lot to thank 21-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams for, Andy Murray has said as the sport’s equality row rumbles on.
Indian Wells boss Raymond Moore quit after saying that the women’s game “rides on the coat-tails” of the men.
Novak Djokovic added to the debate by saying the men should earn more.
But Murray said: “When Serena Williams does great, we also capitalise on that. Someone who’s 70 in the world on the men’s tour also capitalises on that.”
The Briton, 28, said he did not “really understand” what Moore, who subsequently apologised for his remarks, “was getting at”.
In Short: Raymond Moore’s comments were out of order – Murray
But he added that the 69-year-old South African was “out of order” for suggesting female players should “get down on their knees” to thank the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for boosting the sport’s appeal.
Federer and Nadal have won 31 Grand Slam singles titles between them, dominating the men’s game for several years before world number one Djokovic took over.
“Roger and Rafa have been unbelievable for tennis but so has Serena Williams,” Murray told BBC Sport. “We should all be thankful for those guys and what they’ve done for the sport.”
Murray gave short shrift to Djokovic’s notion that men’s tennis is a bigger draw than the women’s game.
“At the US Open last year, the tickets for Serena’s matches were selling out much quicker than the men’s matches,” the Scot said.
He added there would be women’s matches at the Miami Open that would hold more appeal than some of the men’s.
As a result, he said, it made “more sense to make it [prize money] equal”.
Murray, who is in Miami with wife Kim and new daughter Sophia, said the issue of equal pay was a topic of discussion in the locker room.
“I think the amount players speak about it, it’s obviously something they can get frustrated about,” he said.
He pointed out that lower ranked male players also benefit from the success of Federer and Nadal, not just women.
“Why does someone ranked 70 in the world deserve to capitalise on what they’re doing just because they’re a man?” Murray asked.
“When tennis does well, everyone should thrive on that success.”
World number one Williams said Djokovic was “entitled to his opinion” but wondered what he would say to his daughter if he had one.
“If I had two kids, I would never tell my son or my daughter that one deserves more because of their sex,” the American said.