Andy Murray praised for correcting press conference 'sexism'

Andy Murray has been praised for correcting a reporter's "casual sexism" during a press conference at Wimbledon.

A BBC reporter had described Sam Querrey, who defeated Murray in the quarter-finals, as "the first US player to reach a major semi-final since 2009" when the 30-year-old interrupted him.

"Male player," Murray said. American Serena Williams has won Wimbledon five times since 2009.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"First male player," the BBC journalist corrected himself, to nervous laughter, "that's for sure."

Tennis fans - including Murray's mother and first coach, Judy, praised him on Twitter for taking a stand to correct an example of "everyday sexism".

Murray has form when it comes to taking on sexist attitudes towards his female colleagues.

Last year, when the BBC's John Inverdale described him as the "first person ever to win two Olympic tennis gold medals", Murray was quick to point out that "Venus and Serena [Williams] have won about four each".

The tennis champ says he began identifying as a feminist in 2014, after hiring former women's number one Amelie Mauresmo as his coach and witnessing the sexist backlash that followed.

"She was slated every time I lost, which is something my former coaches never, ever experienced," Murray wrote in a blog post for L'Equipe, saying he "felt embarrassed" by the "criticism and prejudice" shown towards his coach.