Novak Djokovic Vows To Support Lower Ranked Players With New Proposal

Serbian star Novak Djokovic is the President of the ATP Player’s council. For a very long time, he has been an able representative of the issues of tennis players.

In fact, he was at the forefront of the ATP decision to call off the tennis tour on time. He also prodded the ATP to maintain a clear conversation with the tennis players. In his recent Instagram live with Stan Wawrinka, Novak yet again proved that he is the best choice for the position.

He maintained that in these hard times, his heart is with the lower-ranked players. They are the ones to have suffered the most with this crisis. For many, tennis was their sole source of income and they can’t afford to miss the tour without incurring very heavy financial losses.

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What did Novak Djokovic say? 

This is the complete analysis that Novak gave of the current situation and its difficulties –

These guys that rank from 250 onwards, they are the ones that make the grassroots of tennis, that make the future of tennis. I feel like we have to be united, we have to support them, we have to show them that they are not forgotten and that we are there for them.”

The Serbian star believes that it is also important to present tennis as a financially lucrative option. That’s when more youngsters will take the sport.

“But then also I feel we have to send a message to the younger generation that are taking in consideration to be professional players. To show them that they can live out of tennis. Even in the times when there is a pandemic and there is a financial crisis. That they still can rely on the support of the top guys, of the ATP as a governing body or ITF or grand slams. So that’s short term.”

He believed that the longer-term plan required more sustained cooperation. This would include combining the efforts of the multiple tennis bodies like the ATP, WTA and ITF. They have often presented a pretty sorry picture.

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Looking at the long term picture

“Long term, I think what we need now in the short term, that is coming together for this cause. I think this is necessary to happen in the long term, which is more complicated. Because, as you know there is ITF, there is independent entity International Tennis Federation, longest-standing tennis Federation in the history of the sport. Then you have grand slams that operate as independent entities. And you have ATP as well, you have WTA. So all of us have to consolidate somehow and come up with a plan and a system that will support especially the base and the grassroots of tennis which is these low-rank guys.”

“Both men and women, we have to somehow regulate better the initial levels of initial tennis and allow these players that are starting to play professional tennis to have an easier way to transitioning to the higher levels. Few years ago, there was a rule change with the Challenger tour, and the transition tours, I don’t think that’s good, to be honest. It creates even more separation there. It’s not going to be ideal but I’m glad at least we are all looking into changing things better.”

Novak Djokovic certainly has the acumen to occupy a higher level authority post in the tennis bodies in the distant future.