As if Andy Murray wasn’t a big enough legend as it was, he then goes and ups his game by defending women in sport.
His act of support towards his fellow tennis players Serena and Venus Williams really confirmed his status as Britain’s leading star.
After securing his Olympic title for a second time, the now two-time gold medalist put broadcaster John Inverdale back in his place after making a sexist remark.
The defending champion had just defeated Austria’s Juan Martin Del Potro in a tense and bruising gold medal match to retain the Olympic crown he won at London 2012, when the BBC presenter Inverdale stepped out of line while interviewing Murray.
Inverdale said: ‘You’re the first person ever to win two Olympic tennis gold medals. That’s an extraordinary feat, isn’t it?’
However, Murray wasted no time pointing out that in actual fact this question’s factual content was completely false. The tennis champion then went on to correct Inverdale.
He said: ‘Well, to defend the singles title…; I think Venus and Serena [Williams] have won about four each but hadn’t defended a singles title before.’
Unsurprisingly, social media picked up on this incident straight away and wasted no time praising Andy’s quick whit and slating Inverdale’s ignorance.
Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon hit to Twitter saying “Just another reason why we love Andy Murray.”
To reiterate Andy’s statement, Serena and Venus have both won gold three times in the 2000, 2008 and 2012 games.
However, this isn’t the first time Murray has expressed his views on equality. Notably, he disagreed with world number one Novak Djokovic after the Serbian suggested men deserved more prize money than women.
Meanwhile Inverdale has also been known for making inappropriate comments in the past. After Marion Bartoli won Wimbledon in 2013, he said: ‘Do you think Bartoli’s dad told her when she was little ‘You’re never going to be a looker? You’ll never be a Sharapova, so you have to be scrappy and fight.’
Thankfully, this time Andy was on hand to set him straight. Watch this incredibly empowering moment unfold in the video below and prepare to feel nothing but pride for the Olympic champion.
0 comments