Armour: Tennis firestorm reminder work to be done before there's equality

Novak Djokovic got one thing right: Female athletes do have to go through a lot of different things their male counterparts do not.

Like people who ought to know better diminishing their accomplishments and dismissing their contributions to the sport. Like the public and people in positions of power treating them as commodities, their importance determined not by their ability but by their appearance.

Like having to fight the same tired battle over and over and over again.

Djokovic’s claim Sunday that male tennis players deserve more prize money was equally if not more disheartening than Indian Wells CEO Raymond Moore’s ridiculous comments about “lady players” riding the coat tails of men. These were arguments that were supposed to have been settled long ago, beliefs about women’s inferiority and subservience a relic from the era of wooden racquets and cat gut.

Yet 40-plus years after Title IX, they’re being resurrected once more. At a time when Serena Williams is one of the most dominant and recognizable faces in sports, no less.

Not just tennis, all sports.

“Our sport has always tried to lead and do the right thing. For the most part, we continue to do that,” said Ilana Kloss, CEO and commissioner of Mylan World TeamTennis and a past Women’s Tennis Association board member.

“There will continue to be moments that are defining, that remind people and wake people up,” Kloss added. “I think this is one of those moments.”

What was Indian Wells CEO thinking?

Let’s dispatch with the “equal pay” argument right away. Yes, the men play best-of-five sets in the Grand Slams while the women play best-of-three. In most other events, however, it’s best-of-three for both.

The irony wasn’t lost on anyone that Djokovic’s comments came after he beat Milos Raonic in two sets — the same amount it took Victoria Azarenka to beat Williams. Djokovic actually worked less, in fact, routing Raonic 6-2, 6-0, while Azarenka needed six more games to dispatch Williams 6-4, 6-4.

As for the Slams, organizers have recognized that equal pay is the only answer when time of play varies wildly. Should Roger Federer earn more if he goes five sets while Rafael Nadal needs only three? What if Caroline Wozniacki needs 90 minutes for a two-set match and Djokovic races through his three-setter in 75?

And what would you have done with the 2005 Wimbledon finals, where it took Venus Williams 45 minutes longer to win her title than Federer needed to claim his?

Djokovic said the men should get more because their events draw better. Yet the women’s final at last year’s U.S. Open sold out before the men’s. The all-Williams quarterfinal drew a 3.7 rating on ESPN, compared with a 1.8 for the men’s final between Federer and Djokovic.

Serena Williams fires back after Indian Wells CEO's sexist remarks

In a sport where the women’s game is as big a draw as the men, where the women train just as hard and for just as long, equity is the only answer.

But the larger, more troubling issue is that of the value and respect afforded to female athletes. Women in general, really.

The passage of Title IX in 1972 opened any number of doors to girls and women. Playing sports is now a rite of passage for young girls, rather than something they have to fight for. The number of women pursuing math and science fields continues to grow. A coffee cart is no longer our entrée to the boardroom.

There is a difference between opportunity and equality, however, and it’s in the latter where we still lag. Men continue to earn more and have an easier time being promoted. They are taken more seriously than their female counterparts even when their qualifications are the same.

Djokovic: Women in tennis 'go through a lot of different things ... You know, the hormones'

They are showcased based on their talent and ability, not how good they’ll look in a swimsuit or a short dress and heels.

“That is such a disservice,” Serena Williams said Sunday when asked about Moore’s comments, “not only (to) a female athlete, but every woman on this planet that has ever tried to stand up for what they believed in and (been) proud to be a woman.”

On Monday, Williams posted a picture of herself on Instagram, looking ready to do battle, with the hashtags #strongisbeautiful and #womenrock.

She’s right, of course. It’s just too bad the reminders are still needed.