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Novak Djokovic said Wednesday that he had no animosity towards rival stars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal after they rejected his call for the formation of a new players association.
Nadal and Federer called for “unity, not separation” after Djokovic revealed at the weekend that he was leading a controversial separatist union of professional male players.
“I respect, of course, completely their decision that they don’t want to be involved in this right now,” Djokovic said after advancing to the third round of the US Open.
“They don’t think the time is right. It’s okay. That’s their opinion. I don’t agree with that.”
Djokovic said his idea was not new and that he was simply “following what previous generations have tried to do.”
“For a players association, it is always the right time, and it has been the right time for the last 20 years. In some ways, it was never really achieved, never really realized. Right now it is. We are moving forward.” .
Djokovic rallied from a set down to defeat Britain’s Kyle Edmund 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in the second round of the US Open on Wednesday.
He said it had “not been easy” to deal with the storm caused by his announcement during his bid for an 18th Grand Slam.
But he also insisted that the new association would not form a rival tour to the ATP or boycott the tournaments.
It is intended as a “platform” to give players a stronger voice, explained Djokovic.
“We have the highest intentions for the players. I mean, this is the only thing we have. We don’t want to fight anyone. We don’t want to fight for existence with the ATP, the ITF (International Tennis Federation) or anyone else.” Governing body.
“I think there is a place for the players association. There has always been a place for the players association,” he added.
“It’s just that right now, obviously, there are people who just don’t want that to happen because there’s a certain structural system in place that has been protecting them. I get it. It’s okay.”
Results from the US Open tennis championship in New York on Wednesday (x denotes the seed):
Single men
Second round
Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) vs. Kyle Edmund (GBR) 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER x28) by Michael Mmoh (USA) 6-2, 6-2, 7-5
Pablo Carreño-Busta (ESP x20) bt Mitchell Krueger (United States) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
Ricardas Berankis (LTU) over Steve Johnson (USA) 7-5, 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (7/1)
Denis Shapovalov (CAN x12) by Kwon Soon-woo (KOR) 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
Taylor Fritz (US X19) by Gilles Simon (FRA) 7-5, 6-3, 6-2
Filip Krajinovic (SRB x26) vs. Marcos Giron (USA) 6-4, 6-1, 6-3
David Goffin (BEL x7) bt Lloyd Harris (RSA) 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x4) vs. Maxime Cressy (United States) 7-6 (7/2), 6-3, 6-4
Borna Coric (CRO x27) over Juan Ignacio Londero (ARG) 7-5, 4-6, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-3
Jordan Thompson (AUS) v Egor Gerasimov (BLR) 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) for Christian Garin (CHI x13) 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 7-5
Cameron Norrie (GBR) over Federico Coria (ARG) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Alejandro Davidovich (ESP) bt Hubert Hurkacz (POL x24) 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2
Adrian Mannarino (FRA x32) bt Jack Sock (USA) 7-6 (7/5), 7-5, 6-2
Alexander Zverev (GER x5) over Brandon Nakashima (USA) 7-5, 6-7 (8/10), 6-3, 6-1
Female singles
Second round
Caroline Garcia (FRA) bt Karolina Pliskova (CZE x1) 6-1, 7-6 (7/2)
Jennifer Brady (US X28) v Catherine Bellis (US) 6-1, 6-2
Angelique Kerber (GER x17) by Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) 6-3, 7-6 (8/6)
Ann Li (United States) v Alison Riske (United States x13) 6-0, 6-3
Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) bt Marketa Vondrousova (CZE x12) 6-1, 6-2
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ x23) by Vera Lapko (BLR) 6-3, 6-3
Varvara Gracheva (RUS) by Kristina Mladenovic (FRA x30) 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-0
Petra Martic (CRO x8) bt Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 6-3, 6-4
Naomi Osaka (JPN x4) by Camila Giorgi (ITA) 6-1, 6-2
Marta Kostyuk (UKR) by Anastasia Sevastova (LAT x31) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5)
Magda Linette (POL x24) bt Danka Kovinic (MNE) 6-1, 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/4)
Anett Kontaveit (EST x14) bt Kaja Juvan (SLO) 6-4, 6-1
Shelby Rogers (USA) by Elena Rybakina (KAZ x11) 7-5, 6-1
Madison Brengle (USA) v Dayana Yastremska (UKR x19) 6-2, 6-3
Jessica Pegula (United States) by Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 7-6 (7/1), 6-7 (3/7), 6-3
Petra Kvitova (CZE x6) by Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) 7-6 (7/3), 6-2
