Tennis star Andy Murray: Treatment of coach has made me a feminist
British No.1 Andy Murray has hit back at criticism of his coach Amelie Mauresmo, claiming she has been more heavily scrutinised purely for being a woman.
Murray, who has reached the French Open semi-finals, says that all of his recent defeats have been blamed on the former women's world No.1.
This excessive criticism of his coach has made Murray acutely aware of the sexism that occurs in the industry.
"Right from the word go, I knew that working alongside Amélie (Mauresmo) would set tongues wagging. The reason for this is that very few players before me have worked with a female coach. I realised it would create a feeling of suspicion, mistrust and perhaps even negativity," Murray told L'Equipe.
"I didn’t realise, however, that Amélie would find herself up against such criticism and prejudice. The staggering thing was that she was slated every time I lost, which is something my former coaches never ever experienced. It wasn’t right."
Murray has spoken of the positive impact Mauresmo has had on his career, pointing to his recent improvement in the rankings.
"I got off to a bad start last season and things have only got better since Amélie arrived," Murray explained.
"I was ranked eleventh in September 2014, I’m now ranked third – it speaks for itself. They say I was plucky choosing Amélie, but truth be told, if anyone was plucky it was Amélie – she’s the one who’s taken the heat. Her competence was always under fire. I felt embarrassed.
"That’s why I made a point of repeatedly saying she was doing an excellent job. The real low point hit at the Masters when I lost 6-0, 6-1 against Roger (Federer, in London). Rather than blaming me, they pointed the finger at Amélie. I still remember what some players and coaches said about her – I wasn’t impressed and I shan’t forget in a hurry…"
The British No.1 believes his life experiences have made his the feminist he says he is today, claiming he finds it easy to speaking to women.
"Have I become a feminist? Well, if being a feminist is about fighting so that a woman is treated like a man then yes, I suppose I have. My upbringing means that I’m quite attuned to the whole thing. I came to tennis thanks to my mother. I always had a very close relationship with my grandmothers. I’ve always been surrounded by women.
"I find it easier to talk to them. I find it easier to open up to them. It’s a crying shame there aren’t more female coaches. I hope this changes even if I this isn’t the reason I chose Amélie. Whilst a female coach might not gel so well with others, it wouldn’t hurt for everyone to be a little more open-minded.”