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Novak Djokovic He is the protagonist of the moment, both on and off the field. The Serbian tennis player conquered his 35th Masters 1000 title inside the New York bubble, but probably the topic of the day is the spin-off that he wants to be part of within the ATP. Together with Vasek Pospisil, Novak intends to create a new union that better represents the players, and the Serbian explained at a press conference in considerable detail what his intentions are, making it clear that, for him, he can coexist with the ATP.
– How he managed to focus for the final despite the physical problems: “There have been many issues off the track that I have been directly or indirectly involved in. It has not been easy at all, especially in the last three or four days. It has been quite a mental and emotional challenge to be able to compete at the highest level. My physiotherapist He did a great job after playing three hours against Bautista yesterday, also Clay, the ATP physio. I was a little slow at the beginning, but I think I played well considering the form Milos is in. He beat great players this week and is Very difficult to subtract from him. You need to be mentally fresh, and I must say that it cost me. I accepted the circumstances and I was lucky to win the title.
– Details about your new Players Association: “I have been part of the Council for several years and I value that experience very much. The group of players that I am with now is probably the best in recent years. Communication is much better, although it is clear that there are some things about this system and This structure is very complicated, it is a very complex ecosystem.
Regarding the players association, first I will say that this is not a new idea, it does not come from nothing. This has been a project of many players and many generations, for example at the time Andy Roddick He was one of the main supporters and one of the strongest voices of the players. We are one of the few sports globally that does not have a player organization, made up solely of players. We have debated this for decades.
So I’m not going to sit here and tell you that this is my idea, or Vasek’s. I definitely think it’s the right step, because it unifies the players. It allows us to have a platform, an association in which we can better express our opinions. I have read in the letter of the other members of the Council that they believe that the ATP cannot coexist with this new association. With all the respect in the world, I disagree.
From a legal point of view we are 100% sure that we can form this association. This is not a union, this is a players association. We are not going to promote boycotts or form parallel circuits. I have seen a lot of speculation because this is a big thing, but I repeat that it is not a new idea. This generation simply has the chance to take the last step, I hope. We are meeting with the players today and our goal is to see that there is support from the players.
We do not have a minimum number of players who are going to sign. We focus on the top-500 singles and in the top-200 doubles, and I hope we can get most of those players together. We know that most likely will not happen today, but we will give you time. You have to start somewhere. I see in the media that this is only going to be positive for the players, and I differ. It will be good for our sport, it has been shown to be a step forward in other sports.
I would love to have Roger and Rafa, it is clear. I would love to have everyone. But I understand it. I understand that there are different opinions, who think that this is not the time. I think this is the moment. It’s always time, you know. It is like having a baby. Either it’s never time or it always is. This is something that has been cooking for more than 20 years. We do not have answers for all the questions yet, we do not yet know who will represent the players, although we do have a broad idea of what the association will be like. We will have our legal administrators and annual meetings.
Right now we are trying to get an idea of how many players want to join this initiative. Let’s start from there.
– What would it mean for him to complete a great American tour after last year’s problems: “Last year, unfortunately, I had problems with the injury to my left shoulder. It came at the worst possible moment, when I was starting to compete in the Us Open. I did not have time to be 100% and go further, although nothing could guarantees that 100% I could have beaten Stan, a phenomenal player. I love playing in New York, I’m not the only one who thinks this is the most dynamic, energetic and explosive court. I feel lucky to have witnessed that throughout of my career.
It’s rare to see so many empty seats. The circumstances are unusual, but we have to accept it and play with it. There’s also advantage, like not experiencing so much pressure when you have a break ball against you or when closing a game. Have the suites On Center Court it also helps us, we spend time there with our team and it allows us to relax before the game. So far in these two weeks both the USTA and the ATP have done a very good job, focusing on us being in a safe environment.
– Medium-term expectations regarding the new Association: “The first thing I can tell you is that if we can formalize all this is that the ATP and this association can coexist. They should, in fact. Only time will tell how far we go. The ATP allows players to fight for their rights, with them. representatives on the Council. We have, so to speak, that decision-making capacity from an executive point of view. On the ATP Board there are conflicts of interest with the representatives of the tournaments. Many decisions require a supermajority of votes.
What we want, plain and simple, is for players to have their own organization and an association that is 100% ours, in which we can debate issues such as our rights, our future. We will try to work together with the ATP and the rest of the government bodies. At first we will not have executive power, and whether or not that changes will depend on whether we can get the most support from the players.
We want to represent the players, especially those outside the top-100. We have had several groups of 200 players, before COVID and during COVID. We have sent letters to the ATP showing our discontent in some things. The players want more power, a greater voice, because they know they don’t have it right now. “
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