Rafael Nadal says women players deserve more prizemoney than men if they draw bigger crowds.getty images
Rafael Nadal said that leading female players "deserve to win more prizemoney than their male counterparts, provided they draw greater ticket sales than the men," according to Daniel Cherny of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. Having "breezed" through to this 11th Australian Open quarterfinal, Nadal was asked about comments from Serena Williams who is "pushing for equal pay for men and women at all tournaments." Men and women already earn equal prizemoney at the four grand slams. Nadal was "reluctant to buy into issues of gender," but suggested that he would have "no problem" if women were to earn more than men. Nadal: "I don't know why you are trying all the time to create these kid of stories on this thing. As you know, I love women's tennis. I feel that they can win as much as they want. Is not about equal or not equal prizemoney. I don't care if they win more than us. That's the real thing. If they sell more tickets, they deserve to more than us [male players]. That's very easy to understand. It's not about being male or women. Doesn't matter we are the same." Subsequently questioned about whether the men's ATP Tour and women's WTA Tour should be integrated to "make a stronger product," Nadal stressed that he did not have enough information. He said, "I don't know. I don't have the whole information to know if that stronger product or not stronger product. Who knows? You need to make an analysis" (SMH, 1/20).
'TRAUMATIZED': In Sydney, Chris Barrett reported Bernard Tomic's father said that he will begin legal action against Lleyton Hewitt, who he alleges left his 17-year-old traumatized in '10 by trying to "pressure him" into revealing who at Tennis Australia was "against" him. John Tomic further alleges that Hewitt warned his son he would "not play" in the Davis Cup again if he did not comply. Tomic's father and long-time coach, John, alleged his son had been traumatized as a teenage Davis Cup debutante when Hewitt came to his hotel room in Melbourne while he was there for an Australian match against Taiwan in '10, and demanded he "inform him who from TA was telling him what to say publicly." John Tomic: "[Hewitt] came into Bernard's room, closed the door and pushed [Davis Cup captain] John Fitzgerald out and said, 'You have to tell me who from TA is against me.'" Hewitt's manager David Drysdale said of the alleged '10 episode, "I know nothing about it and I'm not going to comment any further." Attempts to contact Fitzgerald were unsuccessful (SMH, 1/20). REUTERS' Ian Ransom reported Bernard Tomic denied Hewitt's allegations that he had made "threats" against him and his family. Hewitt told reporters at Melbourne Park on Thursday that he had "banned Tomic from playing in the Australian team after receiving physical and verbal threats." Tomic "returned serve" on Friday, describing Hewitt as a "liar." Tomic: "I have never threatened his family. Nice, Lleyton. To think how low of a person you actually (are) and (it's) why the Australian public never liked you" (REUTERS, 1/18).
