Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova earned more than Rafael Nadal and they deserved it” – Spaniard’s uncle Toni

Rafael Nadal’s uncle Toni has shared his perspective on his nephew earning less than Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.

Toni disclosed that the 22-time Grand Slam champion wasn’t overly concerned about his prize money earnings, even willingly sacrificing a hefty sum on one occasion.

Nadal recently made headlines with his bombshell retirement announcement, disclosing his plans to end his illustrious career at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals.

In an emotional video, the 38-year-old paid tribute to his family, giving a special shoutout to his uncle Toni for being the “real reason he started playing tennis” and for guiding him through “difficult” situations in his life.

Rafael Nadal’s uncle Toni reflected on his nephew’s career and impending retirement in a recent interview with Marca.

The 63-year-old discussed that the likes of Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Roger Federer didn’t prioritize prize money earnings due to their substantial income from endorsements.

In an interview with La Sexta earlier this year, the Spaniard emphasized his “feminist” belief that women deserved equal opportunities, asserting that female players should earn more than men if they generated more revenue.

“What is unfair is that there is no equal opportunity. If you ask me if I am a feminist, if a feminist means saying that they deserve the same opportunities, yes I am,” Nadal said.

“I don’t want me to earn more than Serena Williams because I am Rafa Nadal. I want women to earn more than men if they generate more than men,” he added.

Nadal also highlighted that tennis generally offered equal prize money due to the worldwide popularity and high demand for women’s tennis, contending that if female players were filling stadiums, they deserved the rewards of their success.

“The prizes, in tennis, are practically the same. Why? Because there was the opportunity for women’s tennis to be liked by the world. Women’s tennis is liked by the world, they earn a lot of money. If the women world champions are popular, they fill the stadiums… The more they win, the better,” he said.

Rafael Nadal’s views on equal prize money have evolved over time and he once courted controversy by drawing a questionable parallel between the pay disparity in the tennis world and the fashion industry, questioning why female models earned more than their male counterparts.