World number one Novak Djokovic said he did not mean to cause controversy by saying male players deserve more prize money than women.
The 11-time Grand Slam champion said he spoke out because the sport needed a “fairer and better distribution of funds across the board”.
He added he cares “deeply” about tennis and that his remarks were “not the best articulation of my view”.
He apologised to anyone who had taken his comments “the wrong way”.
Djokovic’s remarks were criticised by high-profile players Serena Williams and Andy Murray.
Williams, the women’s number one, said the Serb was “entitled to his opinion” but wondered what he would say to his daughter if he had one.
“If I had two kids, I would never tell my son or my daughter that one deserves more because of their sex,” the American said.
Murray reiterated his long-held view there should be equal prize money in tennis and gave short shrift to Djokovic’s notion that men’s tennis is a bigger draw than the women’s game.
“At the US Open last year, the tickets for Serena’s matches were selling out much quicker than the men’s matches,” the world number two said.
The 28-year-old Briton added there would be women’s matches at the Miami Open that would hold more appeal than some of the men’s, so it made “more sense” to make prize money equal.
Djokovic caused a stir when he was asked to react to comments by Indian Wells tournament director Raymond Moore, who said the women’s game “rides on the coat-tails” of the men.