Patrick Mouratoglou, who now coaches Naomi Osaka, has commented on Serena Williams’ past remarks about the differences between men’s and women’s tennis, which recently resurfaced on social media, while also revealing that they once discussed organizing a match between her and Andy Murray.
During a 2013 appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, the 23-time Grand Slam champion explained why she did not believe she could beat a man in a professional match. “Women’s and men’s tennis are completely different sports,” she said. “The men are a lot faster, they serve harder, they hit hard. It’s just a different game.”
That clip has resurfaced on Instagram and TikTok in recent weeks, prompting Mouratoglou to weigh in. “It’s funny that it is coming from Serena,” he said. “But it is true, mainly for one reason. Men are so much faster than women. Movement wise.”
Mouratoglou added that Serena often practiced against male players during their time working together from 2012 to 2022. “She played many times with Grigor Dimitrov, Stefanos Tsitsipas. There was zero problem,” he said.
“From the center of the court, cross-court rallies, no issue. In fact, they were impressed. But when movement came into play, that is where things changed. And I agree with her,” he said, referring to Serena’s famous comment that she would lose “6–0, 6–0 in maybe ten minutes” if she faced Murray.
see also
Tennis rankings explained: ATP, WTA and points system
A ‘Battle of the Sexes’ that almost happened
Mouratoglou also revealed that they had seriously considered staging a match between Serena, who has an impressive net worth, and Murray and were brainstorming ways to level the playing field.
“We had an idea on how to reduce the difference between men and women to make the match extremely competitive,” he said. “I am not saying what, because I still want to do it one day.”
Serena Williams and Andy Murray during 2019 Wimbledon mixed doubles (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
High-profile matches between men and women in tennis are not new. Beyond mixed doubles, the most famous example is the 1973 Battle of the Sexes between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, played during the fight for gender equality in sports.
Tennis and the question of equality
Compared to sports like soccer or basketball, tennis has made notable progress toward equality. All four Grand Slam tournaments now offer equal prize money, with Wimbledon being the last to adopt the policy in 2007.
see also
From legends to eternity: The tennis records that seem impossible to break
Still, many tournaments on the calendar show major disparities. According to The Guardian, the pay gap between the ATP and WTA has grown since the pandemic. At the 2024 Italian Open, a joint event, the men’s total prize money was 8.6 million dollars, while the women’s was 3.6 million.
SurveyWould you watch a match between a top WTA player vs an ATP player?
Would you watch a match between a top WTA player vs an ATP player?
ALREADY VOTED 0 PEOPLE
This gap is largely tied to media coverage and broadcast revenue. However, the WTA has introduced a long-term plan aimed at closing the gap in top-tier tournaments by 2033.
