Novak Djokovic has been called out over his vague comments about the “big monopoly” in tennis with former world No 1 Andy Roddick also unimpressed with the tennis great’s Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA).
24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic and Canadian player Vasek Pospisil launched the PTPA on the eve of the 2020 US Open with the aim to take the fight to the ATP and other oganisations to demand a greater share of prize money and improved player welfare.
Following the announcement, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray were all critical of the decision to form a breakaway union, but they have since retired and several players – including the likes of John Isner, Paola Badosa, Ons Jabeur and Hubert Hurkacz – have since joined the PTPA.
But the association has to date not had much success in terms of forcing change as the lengthy schedule and prize money at tournaments continue to be topics of debate with no solution on the table.
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During the recent Joy Forum in Saudi Arabia, Djokovic took aim at the powers that be as he spoke of “big monopoly” and added that “the system is the way that it is”.
But Roddick believes his remarks were ambiguous and stated on the Served With Andy Roddick podcast: “When he talks about monopoly, what exactly does he mean: the monopoly of the circuit? The Grand Slams monopoly? All of that at once? He mentions the ‘system.’ Which specific system is he referring to? He speaks of ‘monopoly,’ but, a monopoly of what?”
What Exactly Did Djokovic Say?
The full quote from Djokovic states: “In our sport, it is a big monopoly that has been there for decades. That was the biggest inspiration for me and my college Vasek Pospisil, my fellow tennis player, we founded the Professional Tennis Players Association.
“Now we have the PTPA, but we still don’t have the voice at the table where the decision are being made. That’s the downside of our sport and the way it is structured. The system is the way that it is.
“I’m always looking for a place where there is innovation and thankfully with my achievements, I have a platform and a mic in my hand and I can say certain things that will hurt a lot of people and disturb along of chairs. But I don’t care. At the end of the day, I love this sport. This sport has given me everything in my life, so I want to give it back.
“What can I do for the players? How can I personally engage in some changes so we can force that, in a right way.
“A lot of people are going to oppose that, they are not going to like it, but I can sleep well knowing I’m doing something good and my heart is in the right place.
“The fire just keeps going in me. As long as you live, as long as you breathe, you want to make this world a better place.”
Roddick’s PTPA Reservations
Despite his “questions”, Roddick feels Djokovic remains a “true leader”, but he also warns that the PTPA doesn’t represent everyone as he questioned their success so far.
“To be frank, I think Novak has very good intentions. The players and the locker room, in general, adore him and recognise him as a true leader in this sport,” the American added.
“However, if he wants to voice certain things, let’s speak the truth. This issue has been going around for a long time. Yes, I believe there should be a players’ union, but I think it’s the players who should decide who represents them.
“You can’t create a union and claim to represent everyone; that’s not how it works, and certainly it hasn’t worked that way for the PTPA.”
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