Djokovic: Drawback is a Monopoly–It's Onerous to Break It

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, March 21, 2025
Photograph credit score: Matthew Calvis

When Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic surveys the tennis panorama, he is struck by unsettling imaginative and prescient.

Former world No. 1 Djokovic sees the game creeping towards a tennis feudal system with governing our bodies and a few tournaments thriving, whereas gamers are getting priced out of the competitors. 

Assembly the media in Miami earlier than his opening-round match vs. Rinky Hijikata, Djokovic was requested to evaluate the PTPA’s lawsuit towards the ATP, WTA and ITF. 

Olympic gold-medal champion Djokovic stated the first difficulty is gamers, notably lower-ranked gamers, will not be receiving an enough piece of the income pie. Consequently, some lower-ranked gamers are pressured out of the game just because they can’t afford the price of world journey and training. 

“At the moment, there will not be sufficient gamers [making a] dwelling from this sport on the very best stage, we’re incomes good cash,” Djokovic advised the media in Miami. “However the purpose why I have been speaking for years concerning the equal break up of the pie, or enhance of the prize cash, is due to the grassroot ranges.

“And the women and men, skilled tennis gamers which are preventing to principally proceed enjoying the game. I do know, personally, very large variety of gamers which have left tennis, notably throughout COVID time due to lack of funds. And so, I feel I do not know precisely these days, the variety of gamers which are in a position to make a dwelling from this sport?”

Djokovic estimates about 400 gamers making a dwelling on the professional Excursions and given the actual fact tennis is likely one of the most widely-viewed sports activities and generates a whole lot of hundreds of thousands in playing {dollars}, that quantity is unacceptable to him.

“I feel it is in all probability – singles, doubles, males, girls mixed – in all probability round 400 [players who make a living from tennis],” Djokovic stated. “Which isn’t sufficient for a really world sport that now we have. I need to see that quantity increase. I have been saying this quite a bit within the media within the final a number of years.

“However primarily based on some research and analysis that was performed concerning the recognition of the sports activities tennis is definitely the third or fourth hottest sport on the planet. I feel we’re sharing the third spot with cricket. Primary is clearly soccer, or soccer, as you name it, [then] basketball, and it was adopted by greater than virtually 2 billion individuals. And tennis and cricket is 1.3 billion individuals, however when it comes to maximizing its potential, and business worth, we’re quantity 9, or ten. So, so there’s large [potential].”

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘀.

Immediately, the PTPA and over a dozen gamers, on behalf of the whole skilled inhabitants, filed a sweeping sequence of authorized actions towards the ATP, WTA, ITF and ITIA to reform skilled tennis. https://t.co/1r4LWQpopP

— Skilled Tennis Gamers Affiliation (@ptpaplayers) March 18, 2025

Based in 2019, the PTPA has advocated for skilled tennis gamers to have extra say and management over their careers, together with sponsorship and off-court incomes alternatives that they really feel are overly restricted by their participation in ATP and WTA occasions.

So given the large viewers and income numbers at stake, why have not gamers and the sport’s governing our bodies labored out a mutual settlement? Why did the PTPA file the blockbuster lawsuit towards the ATP, WTA and ITF with out one remaining effort to achieve an accord?

Djokovic stated the reason being easy: he views the present ATP political construction as a “monopoly”  

“Widespread Floor and a standard route that may be satisfying or win-win for everybody,” Djokovic stated. “Drawback is that there’s a monopoly in place as nicely that has been there for many years, and it is laborious to interrupt it, and gamers are sometimes instances getting a shorter finish of the stick.

“And I feel it is proper for any participant, actually, to talk up on this difficulty. So I feel I am in the direction of the tip of my profession, and plenty of the individuals have at all times been counting on me to say one thing about this matter, as I am doing proper now, and I do not thoughts speaking about it.

“However I want to see the present leaders of the respective excursions and and the longer term generations which are going to guide this sport for the following a long time, to take a lead, and to grasp that these points, these matters, these topics, are essential for them and for the gamers, and never only for them, but in addition for the opposite gamers that they’re representing.”

In an announcement issued on Tuesday, the ATP blasted the PTPA claims of corruption as “totally with out advantage” and additional knocked the PTPA for making an attempt to draw consideration to its trigger via “division and distraction.”

“Whereas ATP has remained targeted on delivering reforms that profit gamers at a number of ranges, the PTPA has persistently chosen division and distraction via misinformation over progress,” the ATP stated in an announcement. “5 years on from its inception in 2020, the PTPA has struggled to determine a significant position in tennis, making its resolution to pursue authorized motion at this juncture unsurprising.

“We strongly reject the premise of the PTPA’s claims, consider the case to be totally with out advantage, and can vigorously defend our place. ATP stays dedicated to working in one of the best pursuits of the sport – in the direction of continued development, monetary stability, and the absolute best future for our gamers, tournaments, and followers.”

Djokovic, a former ATP Participant Council President, and Vasek Pospisil based The Skilled Tennis Gamers Affiliation with the purpose of giving professional gamers complete illustration within the recreation’s decision-making course of.

In current interviews, Djokovic has reiterated his long-held declare that the ATP Board of Administrators construction is damaged and doesn’t adequately symbolize participant curiosity.

“We have now an issue within the very—how can I say—construction of the ATP is that as gamers we solely have the 50% of that group,” Djokovic stated. “There’s plenty of instances there was battle of curiosity between tournaments and gamers. We wished totally different factor.

“We’re a part of the identical system, and we will not go with out one another, however we’re oftentimes in conflictual conditions. “We wish more cash, they possibly do not need to give us as a lot cash after we discuss concerning the prize cash. There’s so many various layers of the prize cash that you need to look into. It isn’t that straightforward.”