Andy Murray having to remind sports journalists (again) that women exist

[SueMacartney]

https://mobile.twitter.com/jamiemacc_/status/885189154128224257

From his post-match interview after losing to Querrey today.

He's called out journalists before and no doubt will have to again. (Side note - does any other high profile male do this? In any field?) Relieved to hear it wasn't John Inverdale this time.

It's just struck me though, these journalists have sat and followed the women's matches because that's their job and they know who's won what, who's in which match, the stats etc and yet STILL they completely disregard them.

How can we increase the prominence of women's sport to the wider public if the journalists themselves, who are one of the links between the public and the sport, write female athletes off as irrevelant? Just reinforces the message that they're not important.

I don't see the racisim in what the journalist said at all. If Serena, Venus and Sloane Stephens were the only other US players to reach a semi-final, then sure - sexist and racist. But they're not, as other posters have pointed out. Coco Vandeweghe reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open, for example, as has Madison Keyes.

I do think he is great at noticing sexism and correcting it.

I've noticed that there's never any comeback for him when he does it though, just universal praise.

For him there is no:

• You're hysterical
• Haven't you got anything else to worry about?
• There are schoolgirls in Nigeria being kidnapped and this is what you are choosing to focus on?
• There are other battles to fight
• Now is not the time or the place

Women who notice sexism and try to correct it tend to get the above responses and more. No universal praise for them.

Kigali, I think you've been unfair to chuck accusations of white feminism around.

Here's the link to the thread where we discuss McEnroe's remarks about Serena Williams, and look at the issues both of her race and her sex. It's still on the front page here.

If there's not enough chat about BAME issues, then jump right in and start those chats!

Back to the OP, yes, Andy is a good ally for these sorts of moments.

And (it's not the main point of this thread but) how that MCP Inverdale still keeps getting gigs is beyond me.

I think Andy is great anyway. This just reinforces it.

He's a true sportsperson, in my view.

Popchyck - if you read the comments beneath some of the articles reporting on this, he gets just as much grief for his feminism as women do.

Pooch what does MCP stand for? Mega cocking plonker? Misogynist cockplate?
I agree on John Inverdale, don't know why the BBC keep employing him. "Not sexist" my arse.

Male chauvinist pig

It was a popular expression in the 1970s & 1980s. Very useful. Not sure when it stopped being widely used (lived abroad in 90s/Cool Britannia era).

If Serena, Venus and Sloane Stephens were the only other US players to reach a semi-final, then sure - sexist and racist. But they're not, as other posters have pointed out. Coco Vandeweghe reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open, for example, as has Madison Keyes.

Madison Keys isn't white!

I've never been an Andy fan, as much as I think he's a phenomenal tennis player and I do enjoy watching him play. But, his championing of women is awesome and it truly does make me love him for it. It's so selfless, he has nothing to gain from it. I have enormous respect for him as a result, and I'm starting to think he might be very interesting to have at the table in a fantasy evening at the pub scenario

"He gets just as much grief for his feminism as women do".

Oh, I sincerely doubt that, TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross.

Yes, Male Chauvinist Pig. I'm reviving it

"he gets just as much grief for his feminism as women do."

I think not.

Madison's keys isn't white but coco vandeweghe is, so the point still rings true.

Proud mamma - and rightly so.

I love him.

I think he has also defended Kim, when they made such a fuss about her swearing at Berdych (? - can't 100% remember who it was).

And the fact that everyone passes opinion on Kim's clothes etc.

www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jan/29/andy-murray-kim-sears-swearing-australian-open
Here you go

Bloody good for Andy Murray, but oh god, isn't it so tiring that he or anyone else still has to do this?

It was brilliant. And like someone said upthread, the fact that he sounds pissed off - he sounds tired of it. He's not virtue signalling, he's not trying to be a good guy, he just is a good guy, and because it's fucking tiresome bullshit.

There was a good, similar situation recently where the Indian women's captain pushed back with a (male) journo who asked her who her favourite men's player was. As she right pointed out, no-one asks the men who their favourite women's player is

The response on Twitter was mostly positive, but (from an unscientific squizz through) there were far more "why is she getting uppity, it's a fair question" type comments than Sir Andy has received

And the fact that everyone passes opinion on Kim's clothes etc.

YY, even on the actual match thread on the BBC yesterday one of the commentators "my mum had that coat in the 70s" on a picture of Kim watching the match.

I love him anyway and, he doesn't do it to be pc and get 'likes' - he dies it because it's what he believes and it's natural to him.

Thanks derxa. Reading that he also had to defend criticisms about Amelie Mauresmo, who was his coach around that time.

Maybe once he's retired he can just go round press conferences calling out bullshit? Not as lucrative as after-dinner speaking or endorsements, I know, but still...

The ripple of laughter afterwards really annoys me - it's like the whole room of male journalists all had a moment of "Oh yes, recognising women exist is kind of your THING isnt it Andy? How cute you are about it all, haha". There should have been a moment of awkward silence as the sexism was recognised, not a giggle of "oh yes, arent we NAUGHTY".

I actually think he doesn't give a shit about being liked. He cares about being the best and doing what's right. I totally respect that. He has what old fashioned people like me call moral fibre.

I often wonder why so many people are so negative about him. He's one of tennis's best (certainly one of Britain's best ever) players, he never bloody gives up, he does things like go through an almost embarrassingly one sided public defeat and then agree to play exhibition tennis at the same tournament the next day so that fans are not left with nothing to see when the match they had tickets for is cancelled, he's drily funny, he refuses to play the inane bouncy media game, and he is consistently and genuinely feminist- in a way that makes it clear that he is bemused by those are not. So he doesn't smile as much as some people like and he gets cross with himself during matches? That pales beside all the good things about him.

(Also, a friend of a friend works for him and I hear nothing but good. Apparently he is a supportive and generous employer and a very decent and kind man. So there.)