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‘We Still Are Fighting..’- Serena Williams’ Brave Move Received Backing From Roger Federer as Reluctant Rafael Nadal Had Reservation Back in 2019

Published 03/30/2023, 11:41 AM EDT

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The long-standing debate over equal pay prizes for men and women athletes have often drawn the attention of many big names in the tennis community. Serena Williams has always been at the top of the list of players fighting pay discrimination in the women’s circuit. However, the Queen of the Court previously got herself an ally from the ATP Tour as together they shed light on the prevailing issue.

It was none other than the Swiss tennis legend, Roger Federer, who also used his platform to address the importance of equal pay for the WTA players. While the former tennis ace remained quite vocal, his rival, Rafael Nadal showed reluctance to comment on the same matter.

Roger Federer once accompanied Serena Williams in her fight

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A few seasons back, Roger Federer weighed in on the long-standing debate of equal pay prizes for female players in the tennis community. The Swiss tennis Maestro came forward to comment that women athletes deserve the same pay as men. Further, the 20 singles Grand Slam champion said that both the WTA and ATP players should work together to popularize the game.

READ MORE- Serena Williams Casually Slaying in Black Outfit Stuns Husband Alexis Ohanian, Jamie Foxx, Reilly Opelka, and Others

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Federer’s comments on pay discrimination came a week later when Serena Williams shed light on the same issue. The Queen of the Court expressed her disappointment over the women players receiving less than half of their male counterparts. As a result, the American tennis legend said that there is a need for a change that would only come when men and women athletes support each other in this campaign.

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Speaking of it, Williams said, “We still are fighting for equal prize money at all events across the board. I think that’s something that we’re going to continue to do, continue to fight for.”

While Serena and Roger became allies in this noble endeavor, Rafael Nadal showed reluctance to comment on the same matter. The Spaniard argued that who sells more tickets and thus gets more is what matters, not whether the prize money is equal or not.

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Others in the tennis community have also shed light on the prize gap

Apart from Serena and Roger, another tennis legend, Venus Williams previously used her platform to comment on the issue on the women’s circuit. Even the younger generation in the community has been quite vocal about the prevailing issue of pay discrimination.

Notably, the top WTA talents, Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Naomi Osaka, and others previously urged the authorities to reduce the prize gap at all the tournaments.

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WATCH THIS STORY: Serena Williams pays tribute to Roger Federer.

What do you think of the prevailing issue of prize discrimination for female players? Let us know in the comments section.

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Written by:

Anurag Gusain

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Anurag Gusain is a Tennis Author at EssentiallySports. He has completed his Bachelor’s degree in English from Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University. Being a huge tennis fan, he enjoys watching superstar Rafael Nadal play.
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Edited by:

Hitesh Nigam