Novak Djokovic has "further backtracked on his suggestion on Sunday that men's prize money should be higher than that paid in women's tennis," according to the London TELEGRAPH. The subject has "dominated the news agenda" since BNP Paribas Open Tournament Dir Raymond Moore said ahead of Sunday's finals at the tournament that women's tennis "rides on the coattails" of the men's game. Moore also said that female players should "get down on (their) knees and thank God that Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal were born," and commented on the physical attractiveness of players such as Eugenie Bouchard and Garbiñe Muguruza. He has since apologized and resigned, and Djokovic has been on a "damage-limitation course of his own" after saying, following his win over Milos Raonic in the final at Indian Wells, that "the stats show we have much more spectators on the men's tennis matches. I think that's one of the reasons why maybe we should get awarded more." Djokovic apologized on his Facebook page on Tuesday night and "reiterated his contrition at a press conference at the Miami Open on Wednesday." Djokovic: "I sent a message to Serena, Caroline Wozniacki and others, I just wanted them to understand and I never had any intention to offend or have a negative connotation of my statements. I don't make any differences between the genders. I am for equality in the sport" (TELEGRAPH, 3/24).
