Tennis tournament director Raymond Moore suggests women should "get down on their knees" to thank god for male players

Is this guy our douche of the week?

US tennis player Serena Williams pictured with Raymond Moore, Indian Wells CEO. Source: AAP

The disparity in media coverage, prize money and sponsorship for women in sports has received a lot of attention over the past year, with many in the industry pointing out that women who win medals and championships are routinely paid less than their male counterparts are when .

You’d expect that debate to have reached the ears of someone embedded in the industry. Someone like, you know, BNP Paribas Open tournament director Raymond Moore. Apparently not.

In a press conference on Sunday, Moore was asked whether the Women’s Tennis Association to attempt to raise its status as they’re the premier body for women’s tennis in the US.

Moore did not.

''In my next life when I come back I want to be someone in the WTA because they ride on the coattails of the men. They don't make any decisions and they are lucky. They are very, very lucky,'' he said. ''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.''

In general, it’s not really considered polite to demand someone get down on their knees. It’s even less welcome when you’re addressing a group of people who get paid less money, get sponsored less frequently, and are often to subjected to such indignities as being asked to twirl.

And on a purely pragmatic note: would you want to piss this woman off?

Source: Buzzfeed