Rafael Nadal has been battling to clinch his 12th title in Barcelona and on the way, he had to deal with another tricky situation in a press conference.
Nadal and sexism in tennis
During the press conference in Barcelona, when asked about the allegations of Vika Azarenka about the fact that slams should be played with a best of 3 formats also in the men’s section, Rafa replied
“Why does she want us to play best of three? We’re happy playing best of five,
It doesn’t matter the prize money, or equal prize money or not, that’s your debate it’s not our debate. It’s interesting that you are always debating on equal prize money in tennis when we are probably the only sport in the world where we are almost equal prize money in most of the events.
So I don’t know why you don’t debate about football, basketball, about all the other important sports that women are miles away from the men. You always debate here, in our sport, when we support more the women tour than any other sport in the world.”
It’s about who sells more
Then Rafa added
“So I’m a little bit tired thinking about we are against the girls. No, not at all. Another thing is who sells more, who sells less, that is another debate, but it’s not about men or women it’s about persons and that’s all. We are the same, somebody deserves more and other ones deserve less.
If you are in the same company as another man, and I am doing better in my job than the other man, I have to win more than the other. It doesn’t matter if it’s a girl or man and I’m a little bit tired about this debate all the time.”
It’s difficult to say that Rafa is wrong. Tennis is about entertaining, and the guy or the girl that sells the most deserve to earn more than the other people.
Genie Bouchard has been able to earn much more than many top50 players with her endorsements and nothing to complain about that.
