Just before the finals of the BNP Paribas Open, tournament director Raymond Moore told reporters female players were "lucky" to "ride on the coat-tails of men".
That's sparked an angry response from some of the sport's biggest names.
Traditionally, tennis is seen as a very well-mannered sport.
But as this year's tournament at Indian Wells in the United States drew to a close, the atmosphere was changing dramatically.
At a news conference tournament director Raymond Moore was asked about the current state of the Women's Tennis Association.
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His response was less than flattering.
"They ride on the coat-tails of the men. They don't make any decisions and they are lucky. They are very, very lucky. If I was a lady player, I'd go down every night on my knees and thank God that Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal were born, because they have carried this sport."
The remarks sparked a firestorm on social media with former tennis champions like Billie Jean King and Pam Shriver tweeting their outrage.
Moore later issued a written apology saying the final of the BNP Paribas Open reflected the strength of its female competitors.
Former world number one Victoria Azarenka ended up winning that match.
Her opponent, Serena Williams, was disappointed - both with the loss and with Moore's comments.
"There's only one way to interpret that. Get on your knees, which is offensive enough, and thank a man, which is not - we, as women, have come a long way. We shouldn't have to drop to our knees at any point."
The men's final was taken out by Novak Djokovic, who was also asked for comment.
He said female players deserve respect and admiration for what they're doing, citing the Women's Tennis Association's battle to secure prize money equal to their male counterparts.
But Djokovic doesn't agree with their aim, saying men should earn more prize money than women.
"Our men's tennis world should fight for more because the stats are showing that we have much more spectators on the men's tennis matches."
Last year both Djokovic and Williams pocketed the same amount from their wins at Wimbledon.
But the men's final attracted nearly 5 million more viewers.
On the other hand, Serena Williams' final at the US Open last year sold out more quickly than the men's final.
Sports marketing consultant Tim Crow says from a financial standpoint, women's tennis has never been stronger.
"It's very well placed to take advantage of the goodwill and momentum around women's sports and brands are showing around women's sports as well. There's been more investment into women's sport and more interest in women's sport in the last year or two years than there ever has been."
Reports suggest Djokovic's view - that prize money should be distrubuted on the basis of ratings and ticket sales - is widely held in the world of tennis.
That might eventually lead to women being paid more but does little to support the campaign that both sexes should be paid - and treated - equally for competing in the same arena.
