“It was a very close encounter…” Novak Djokovic remarked after dispatching Alex Michelsen within one hour and 55 minutes in his first match in China since 2019! All was going great until fans dug out a blatant bias over the coverage of Djokovic’s recent victory to that of Jannik Sinner’s China Open round-of-16 triumph over Roman Safiullin! Seems like fans won’t let this slide, as always!

As per the ATPtour.com’s September 28 article titled “Sinner seals QF spot with another Beijing comeback”, it was Sinner’s “steely resilience,” that propelled him to “respond emphatically” against the World No. 61, Safiullin, and finish the match (3-6, 6-2, 6-3) in two hours, 22 minutes. Point to note: he lost the first set!

After the match, the Italian admitted, “[It was] a tough match.” The World No. 1, who is undergoing a thorny period in his career owing to his doping case, further added, “Especially on these kind of days when maybe you don’t feel at your 100% to find a way through means so much to me.” 

Contrastingly, on 5th October, Novak Djokovic clinched a comeback win after his US Open setback. Fans were quick to notice ATP Tour’s ‘neutral’ coverage(article headline: “Djokovic saves set points to deny brave Michelsen in Shanghai”) of Novak Djokovic’s round-of-64 victory(7-6(3), 7-6(9)) in the Shanghai Masters. 

They pointed out Djokovic’s straight two-set win being dubbed as “thoroughly tested” against Michelson. Furthermore, Djokovic’s “still wearing a protective sleeve” on his knee and winning “just four points in the first three games,” in the match highlighted a similar bias, per fans. Contrastingly, phrases like “a confident Michelson” made the matters worse in fans’ eyes.

This disparity in their coverage has ignited a hot debate on social media with fans scrutinizing ATP’s biased reporting!

Fans slammed ATP for its “clear cut bias” for the top-5 players

Fans have long scrutinized ATP’s handling of its stars, with some arguing that Djokovic in particular receives unfair treatment. In January, ATP revealed its 2024 poster, “New Season, New Era, New Attitude,” featuring Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Shelton, and Sinner. Even after being at the No. 1 spot at the time, Djokovic had no place in it, infuriating fans worldwide. Now, once again, their latest bias has compelled a fan to write, “Is this pathetic empathy toward sinister or just clear cut bias? Maybe both 😔 “.

Another fan wrote, “ATP hate(es) Djokovic by purpose.” Last year, fans noticed another notable incident where, despite being at the top of the 2023 reward list, his bonus was reduced to zero. The authorities explained the reason for Djokovic’s absence in more than three Masters 1000 events. But fans slammed the organization for their biased behavior!

As the backlash intensified, one fan wrote, “Idiots! They are laughable!” Even during his comeback (after a knee injury) at Wimbledon, Djokovic had to answer multiple questions as he wore his grey (instead of white) knee sleeve while playing there. Although the ATP released an article about allowing the Serb to wear the grey sleeve, it failed to diffuse the situation and instead made fans more disappointed.

Sinner tested positive for Clostebol twice in March and won the trial in August, raising eyebrows in the tennis world about the smooth and hushed process of the case. Some even accused ATP of bias in handling the situation. Now that WADA decided to reopen the case, dismissing the ITIA’s initial verdict, it further raised questions about ATP’s initial nod of approval of allowing Sinner to play. Referring to this, one fan wrote, “Double standards are unbelievably obvious. Can’t wait to see how the headlines will look when Sinner is banned for a year.”

Contrastingly, one fan pointed out ATP’s report on Sinner’s first-round victory in Beijing. The title of the article, “Sinner survives Jarry scare in Beijing,” contradicted the ongoing backlash on the matter. “Yes, ATP would never would say Sinner “survives” in a tight result. Apart from when they did 2 days earlier,” the fan defended the ATP and Sinner through his comment. However, the article did not forget to appreciate the Italian’s “consistency,” and also mentioned how he “overpowered” Nicolas Jarry. Therefore, the point of concern remains the same, even in this case.

As the controversy goes on, fans must be waiting for a response or a resolution. Will the ATP take steps to address the concerns? Only time will tell!