Rafael Nadal has controversial opinion on equal | Sports News

Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal has suggested that female players should only receive equal pay if they generate the same level of interest and revenue as their male counterparts.

The issue of gender pay disparity in professional tennis remains a contentious topic, with some tournaments still awarding less prize money to women’s categories.

Equal pay was first introduced at the U.S. Open in 1973 after Billie Jean King threatened to boycott the event unless the pay gap was addressed.

It took another 28 years for the Australian Open to follow suit in 2001, with the French Open and Wimbledon finally offering equal prize money in 2007.

However, despite growing calls for pay equity, some ATP events have yet to bridge the gap. For instance, at last year’s Cincinnati Open, men’s champion Jannik Sinner received $1,057, while Aryna Sabalenka, the women’s champion, took home just $527,563.

“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 win 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.”