Djokovic continues to criticize ATP

Novak Djokovic believes that the way the Men's Professional Tennis Association operates and manages puts most players at a disadvantage.

"Ninety percent of the time on the ATP, the players get the worst of it," Djokovic said in a video posted by the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) on October 19. "Why? Because the structure of the system doesn't allow the players to make decisions."

Three years ago, Djokovic founded the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), a rival organization to the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). The organization is tasked with protecting the interests of professional tennis players, from income, pension funds, insurance to vacation regimes. Djokovic was previously an important member of the ATP player council, but was forced to leave the position after founding the PTPA.

Djokovic is always concerned about the rights of his ATP colleagues. Photo: AP

Djokovic holds the record for the most prize money in tennis history, with more than $175.2 million. He admits that top players benefit from the current ATP prize money system, but lower-ranked players do not. The Serbian has long been concerned about the interests of his lower-ranked colleagues.

"There is a monopoly in tennis," Djokovic said of the ATP's control over the players. "A lot of the media try to avoid it, because it's not in their interest. If you want to make a difference, the majority has to come together and that doesn't happen if everyone has different interests. That's why the PTPA exists, because it represents 100% and cares about the players."

Since becoming President of the PTPA, Djokovic has repeatedly criticized the ATP and has also helped his colleagues significantly improve their benefits when competing on the Tour. Under pressure from the PTPA, in August, the ATP announced a financial support program, ensuring income for tennis players in the top 250. This program is expected to be applied in 2024, with a three-year trial period.

In the event that a player’s earnings from playing in a year fall below the guaranteed threshold, the ATP will make up the shortfall. The ATP Top 100 are guaranteed $300,000. $150,000 is given to players ranked 101 to 175, and $75,000 to players ranked 176 to 250. This allows players who are not performing well to continue to hire coaches and staff in the hope of improving their performance in subsequent years.

Vy Anh

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