"This is who people were claiming to be a feminist icon" - Tennis fans fume over Andy Murray's sly dig at Madrid Open cake controversy

Andy Murray's recent reference to the controversy caused by the difference in birthday cakes presented to Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka at the Madrid Open has sparked outrage among tennis fans.

With Madrid finalists and eventual champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka celebrating their birthdays on May 5, both players received birthday cakes from the tournament. However, fans were quick to point out the considerable difference in the sizes of the two cakes.

While Alcaraz was honored with a large multi-tiered cake and huge on-court celebrations, Sabalenka received just a small cake on the sidelines.

Murray, who celebrated his 36th birthday on May 15, took to social media and made a tongue-in-cheek comment referencing the Madrid Open controversy. He joked that he would be furious if he did not receive a birthday cake that was the same size or bigger than the one given to Alcaraz.

"If I don’t get a cake of equal size if not slightly bigger than Alcaraz today im going to be absolutely f**king furious," he tweeted.

In response, one fan stated that the former World No. 1 should not make light of the situation. They believe that the dispute in Madrid was not limited to a birthday cake but was instead indicative of the larger issue of how women are treated differently at tournaments.

"Not funny. This was about how women are treated differently in tournaments. You have got special treatment always and have the wildcards record to prove it," the fan commented.

Several other fans were disappointed by the Brit's joke, claiming it was contradictory to his track record of advocating for WTA players and promoting feminism.

"This is actually annoying. The tennis “feminist leader” should see the bigger picture (the women are treated less than in Madrid)," a fan tweeted.

"LMAOOO this is who people were claiming to be a feminist icon," another fan chimed in.

Here are some more fan reactions to Andy Murray's tweet:

Andy Murray lost to Fabio Fognini in Italian Open 1R

Andy Murray at the 2023 Italian Open

Andy Murray looked to be in top form heading into the Italian Open. He had registered a triumph over Tommy Paul the previous week, to secure the Provence Challenger title.

However, the three-time Grand Slam champion was unable to get going in Rome and he lost his first-round encounter against the home favorite Fabio Fognini. After splitting the first two sets, it was the Italian who came out on top with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 scorline. With his win, Fognini took a 5-4 lead in his head-to-head against the Brit.

Andy Murray has since accepted a wildcard into the Challenger event in Bordeaux, France. He will take on the winner of the match between Stan Wawrinka and Ugo Blanchet on Wednesday.