Serena fires back at Indian Wells CEO

Serena Williams was among many who weren't pleased with Indian Wells CEO Raymond Moore's suggestion Sunday that women's tennis players "ride the coattails" of their male counterparts.

"When I come back in my next life 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," Moore said at a media breakfast. "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. They really have."

Moore's remarks came the same day that Williams fell to Victoria Azarenka in the women's final of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.

Asked about Moore's comments after her match, Williams characterized his viewpoint as offensive.

"Obviously I don't think any woman should be down on their knees thanking anybody like that," Williams told reporters. "So I don't think that is a very accurate statement. I think there is a lot of women out there who are more ... are very exciting to watch. I think there are a lot of men out there who are exciting to watch. I think it definitely goes both ways. I think those remarks are very much mistaken and very, very, very inaccurate."

Asked whether Moore's comments had been taken out of context, Williams doubted it.

"Well, if you read the transcript you can only interpret it one way. I speak very good English. I'm sure he does, too," Williams said. "You know, 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 69-year-old Moore apologized for his remarks later on Sunday.