Novak Djokovic: Conversation with Rafael Nadal about PTPA "in the days before Roland Garros"
Novak Djokovic spoke in the press conference after his opening win at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome about the establishment of the PTPA (Professional Tennis Players Association) and revealed that the conversation with Rafael Nadal is still pending.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Sep 17, 2020, 10:17 am
It was one of those actions with which Novak Djokovic received a lot of headwind in recent months. During his time in the bubble in New York City, the Serb presented himself in a lively manner, tried to find players who were interested in the idea of their own game agency - and who wanted to go such a path together with the industry leader.
With the interest group, Djokovic and the founding members Isner and Pospisil want to work even more intensively for the needs of the players. The top 500 in the world rankings were announced as the target group at the start, women were initially not an issue for the PTPA. A few moments after the founding, there was already initial criticism of the approach, Nadal and Federer, for example, emphasized in unison that it was now time for unity and not for separate ways.
Dominic Thiem also had little to gain from the PTPA when it was founded, the Austrian said at a press conference before the US Open: "I did not sign. The ATP is doing a good job, tennis is in a good position." Compatriot Oliver Marach, on the other hand, has expressed his interest in the PTPA idea; Jürgen Melzer, as a member of the Players Council, is appropriately skeptical of the idea.
Nadal: Too many open questions
Now Rafael Nadal has once again underlined his criticism of Djokovic's idea. The Spaniard said on the sidelines of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome: "There are a number of things that I don't think are right. We are currently going through a global crisis in every respect. It's a tough one Time for all of us, for the players, for the organizers, for the entire tour. We should therefore stick together more than ever and we shouldn't split up and each pursue their own interests. "
According to Nadal, there are too many unanswered questions about the new interest representation. Questions that Novak Djokovic has obviously not yet answered to the world number two, as he said in a press conference: "I have not spoken to him yet and I will not do it while this tournament is taking place. Perhaps the ideal opportunity is next Week in the days before Roland Garros 2020 ", said the industry leader.
No competition to the ATP
"We want to work together, also with the players, there are almost 200 players who have signed our proposal. The players' association is progressing, it is very important for us that we feel represented and bring a new idea to the ATP. We want to nothing to split up, but we want and need an association that represents us. That's it, "said Djokovic, who repeatedly emphasized that he did not want to compete with the ATP.