Rafael Nadal faces massive backlash in Spain for his equal pay comments involving Serena Williams

The 22-time Grand Slam winner argues for equal opportunities for women and backs it up with a Serena Williams example. 

Rafael Nadal faces massive backlash in Spain for his equal pay comments involving Serena Williams

Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal (Image via: Imago)

Spanish Maestro Rafael Nadal opened up about his perspective on equal pay rights between male and female players. To prove his point, he name-dropped Serena Williams and also backed it up with a reference to his family. 

In a recent interview with Marca, the 22-time Grand Slam title champion was caught in a frenzy as he answered the question on equal pay.

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While being critical of the way some individuals use the term “feminism,” the Spaniard aligned himself with the movement’s overall goal of achieving equal opportunities for women.

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All in for women’s rights, Nadal believes that there are unfair opportunities for women in the tennis world. Having said that, he also asserted that if women generate a higher revenue than men, then they should get paid more and not be handed out freebies or “free gifts.”

That’s not all, he further used the example of Serena Williams to prove his point. 

Equality does not mean giving gifts. Equality means that if Serena Williams generates more than me, she must earn more than me.
Said Rafael Nadal in the interview. 

Furthermore, to back his point, Nadal pulled out the family card. In a clumsy effort to justify himself, the Spaniard said, “I have a sister and a mother.” Interestingly enough, this statement brought out many controversies, and even an editorial piece commented on Nadal’s words. 

It's a magnificent moment when Nadal says he has a sister and a mother. Let's hope he has a gay friend, a black neighbor and we will have the complete package of the still-undeconstructed gentleman.
In an editorial, the daily newspaper El Pais read 

Rafael Nadal’s 2019 interview goes viral as he takes another shot at answering the equality question

Recently, a 2019 Australian Open interview with Rafael Nadal resurfaced on the internet, as fans compared it to his recent take on equal pay.

Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams
Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams (via Imago)

For context, five years ago, Nadal used the fashion industry to explain how women get paid more than men when asked to choose between equal pay and the gender pay gap. 

This time around, the Spaniard seemed more confident with his answer but fumbled later on. He took it a step further this time and explained the revenue theory, where the person who generates more revenue gets paid more. 

Nonetheless, the Spaniard is caught up with his recovery as he gears up to return to court for the second time. Targeting Indian Wells, Nadal will also feature in the Netflix Slam and hope to make it to the French Open. As fans await the return of the Spaniard, they get to understand his chain of thoughts through these interviews.

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