WATCH: Rafael Nadal is branded ‘sexist’ after saying female tennis players should not automatically earn the same as men – but others applaud his ‘common sense’

RAFAEL Nadal has sparked a debate after making his thoughts known on the topic of feminism and equal pay.

The Grand Slam champion, 37, was talking to TV presenter Ana Pastor to discuss the opening of his new tennis academy in Malaga.

However questions soon turned to recent controversial topics, including his collaboration with Saudi Arabia and his thoughts on men and women having the same salaries in sports.

READ MORE: Nadal come under fire for signing a collaboration deal with Saudi Arabia

During the El Objetivo programme, Pastor told Nadal that he seemed ‘uncomfortable’ at the mention of feminism.

It comes after the Mallorca native previously suggested he was against women and men being paid the same in tennis.

Nadal told Pastor: “Not at all, what I am not is a hypocrite to say that these things are easy, and I don’t think they are.

“Investment? The same for men and women. Opportunities? The same. The same salaries? No, for what?

“What is unfair is that there are not equal opportunities. If you’re saying that being a feminist is believing that a man and a woman deserve exactly the same opportunities, then I can say that I am a feminist… of course I want equality.

“Equality for me is not based on awarding for awarding’s sake, equality resides in if Serena Williams generates more than me, I want Serena to earn more than me.”

The comments have divided opinion online, with users of X branding him ‘machista’, a Spanish term for a sexist.

However others backed Rafa, with one writing: “It would not be fair that someone who generates more sales from tickets and t-shirts, earns the same as someone who generates much less, it’s logical.”