Novak Djokovic: ‘Euphoria and adrenaline’ led to poorly-worded comments on gender pay

The Serbian world number one sparked controversy after calling on the ATP to fight for the men’s tour to get more money – in the wake of Raymond Moore suggesting women “should get on their knees” and be grateful to the men’s game for raising their profile.

Moore subsequently stepped down as CEO and tournament director at Indian Wells.

[OPINION: Djokovic is just plain wrong: Tennis should be proud of equal pay]

Now, Djokovic has taken to Facebook to explain his comments.

“Euphoria and adrenalin after the win on Sunday got the best of me and I’ve made some comments that are not the best articulation of my view, and I would like to clarify them,” Djokovic wrote in a post on Facebook.

“Tennis helped me so much in my life and being where I am today, I felt the need to speak about the fairer and better distribution of funds across the board - this was meant for both men and women.

“We all have to fight for what we deserve. This was never meant to be made into a fight between genders and differences in pay, but in the way all players are rewarded for their play and effort.”

Djokovic's original comments were received poorly by many players, with women's world number one Serena Williams describing them as "disappointing".

"I wouldn't say my son deserved more money than my daughter because he's a man. It would be shocking," Williams told reporters.

"Dear all,

"I typically use this page to share my excitement with you, especially after big wins.

"But this time I had to take a few deep breaths before addressing you. As you may have seen, I was asked to comment on a controversy that wasn’t of my making. Euphoria and adrenalin after the win on Sunday got the best of me and I’ve made some comments that are not the best articulation of my view, and I would like to clarify them.

"As you all know, I care deeply about the future of the game and all of the players. Tennis helped me so much in my life and being where I am today, I felt the need to speak about the fairer and better distribution of funds across the board - this was meant for both men and women. We all have to fight for what we deserve. This was never meant to be made into a fight between genders and differences in pay, but in the way all players are rewarded for their play and effort.

"Tennis is a sport that I love and that gave me the opportunity to help others who still have a long way to go to achieve their dreams.

"This was my view all along and I want to apologize to anyone who has taken this the wrong way."