Martina Navratilova - "Djokovic thinks he's doing the right thing, but ..."
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has little to do with the Professional Tennis Players Association, which was founded before the US Open 2020.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Nov 04, 2020, 03:14 pm
The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) has become quiet since its front man Novak Djokovic and almost 60 of his colleagues came to the Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York City for the founding photo. The general support may not have been as great as Djokovic had imagined, especially since Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer promptly expressed their incomprehension about the creation of the PTPA.
Industry leader Djokovic then concentrated on his core business, after the disappointing results at the US Open and in Roland Garros, the grand finale of the season in London should follow. Martina Navratilova, who was highly involved in social affairs during her active time and afterwards, sees Djokovic's role at the PTPA as an unnecessary distraction. And no help for tennis in general.
Navratilova - "Solving problems, not creating new ones"
"He thinks he's doing the right thing," Navratilova told the Irish Times. “I disagree with him, but that's his decision. But it certainly doesn't seem to have helped his tennis. From a purely logical point of view, if you're a tennis champion, if you're committed to the sport, then it takes all the energy. If you want to get distracted, you might watch TV, go chopping wood, or start embroidering. "
“But to create this union,” Navratilova continued. “That doesn't help in any way. Do this when you've quit active tennis. But something like that is offensive and not helpful. During the Corona period, attempts are made to bring us further apart. Rather, we should come together and find out how we can play tournaments without people getting sick. Let's solve this problem first before we create a new one. "
The ATP seems to have done this reasonably well in the past few weeks. On the other hand, there are big holes in the WTA calendar. However, one looks in vain for female representatives in the PTPA.