Rafael Nadal weighed into the divisive topic of equal prize money in tennis. The Spaniard does not believe ATP and WTA players should always receive the same financial rewards.
The retired Nadal is rightly regarded as one of the classiest players in tennis history because he treated others with respect and was a great role model. However, the 22-time Grand Slam champion has also never shied away from being honest in public.
Tennis currently has equal prize money for men and women at the four Grand Slams and at some of the combined Masters 1000 tournaments, including the Indian Wells Open. This year’s edition of the event in Indian Wells begins on Wednesday.
However, there is a disparity in prize money between the ATP 500 and 250 tournaments and the WTA 500 and 250 events. The ATP Tour generates more revenue than the WTA, meaning it can reward its players more.
In an interview with El Objetivo, Nadal outlined how he believes in equality of opportunity but not equality of outcome. The Spaniard said he would have no problem with women earning more than men if they generated more interest and ticket sales.
“What I am not is hypocritical. What I don’t like to be in the end is to be hypocritical and say things that are easy for me to say. Opportunities [should be] the same. Salaries the same? No. This is not unfair.”
“What is unfair is that there are no equal opportunities. I mean, if you ask me if I am a feminist, I will tell you. If you tell me that a feminist is to believe that a man and a woman deserve exactly the same opportunities, I am a feminist. But you know, this term is taken to an extreme.”
Nadal mentioned fellow tennis legend Serena Williams to illustrate his point that any woman filling stadiums more than him or any other male player should be rewarded more for generating such interest.
“In this conversation, we talk about logical things and normal things. Of course, I want equality. Equality does not lie for me in giving away. Equality lies in the fact that if Serena Williams generates more than me, I want Serena to earn more than me.”
“If she is filling the stadiums and is more important and lives in a country where the United States is and that the potential is greater than in Spain, I don’t want to, for being Rafael Nadal, win more than Serena Williams. If I want equality, I want women to earn more than men if they actually generate more than men.”
A variety of opinions exist on the issue. Some agree with Nadal that players should be rewarded based on what they generate, an opinion also held by his compatriot and WTA star Paula Badosa.
Others think rewards should be based on achievements and that players who win a tournament deserve to be compensated equally to the man or woman who triumphed at the same event, regardless of who sold more tickets.
WTA world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has spoken about feeling a responsibility to fight for equal prize money because of her status as one of the world’s most well-known female tennis players.
