Rafael Nadal has received some harsh criticism from Spanish television presenter Alba Carrillo, who was not happy with the former world No. 1’s recent comments about people’s spending habits and saving money.
The 40-year-old Spaniard, who retired from professional tennis in November 2024, has been spending much of his time working on his businesses, including his hotel projects.
During an earlier interview with CNBC, the 22-time Grand Slam champion spoke about how people’s priorities had changed over the years. He explained that in the past, many people saved money to purchase a house or car, while today they prefer spending on travel and other experiences.
However, Carrillo did not agree with the tennis legend and openly criticized him during the Spanish television show El Sótano Club.
The former model, who was previously married to Nadal’s friend and former Spanish tennis player Feliciano López, accused wealthy celebrities of not understanding the financial difficulties that ordinary people face.
“You are privileged people who have absolutely no ********idea what people are going through and how difficult it is for them to make ends meet,” Carrillo said.
“At least keep quiet on your yachts,” the television presenter added.
The former world No. 1 discussed the subject while explaining his interest in the hotel industry and the reasons he decided to invest in tourism after his successful tennis career.
“People’s mentality has changed a lot. Before, people tried to save money to buy a car or a house. Now people value experiences a lot and invest a lot in traveling and discovering different places,” Nadal said in comments translated from Spanish reporting of his CNBC interview.
The former Spanish player made those remarks earlier this summer, but they attracted renewed attention in Spain during the past week.
Nadal established the Zel hotel brand in partnership with Meliá Hotels International in 2022. The project has become one of his business activities alongside his tennis academy and other investments.
The Spaniard has explained that he spent more than two decades traveling around the world as a professional tennis player and stayed in many hotels during that period.
His experience encouraged him to become involved in hospitality after retirement.