The head of the ATP Tour has said he is open to speaking with Novak Djokovic and others concerning the Professional Tennis Players Association but has vowed to ‘defend the best interest of tennis above all.’
Andrea Gaudenzi has pleaded with players to unite together following the birth of the players union which has divided the sport. Shortly before the US Open Djokovic helped launch the PTPA in which he co-founded. Its aim is to campaign for players to have a greater say when it comes to decision making in the sport. However, the move has proven controversial with the ATP Players Council, which Djokovic had to resign from in order to start the union, issuing a letter urging their fellow peers not to join. Both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are members of the council who signed the letter.
During a recent interview with Le Figaro newspaper, Gaudenzi has urged Djokovic and others to join forces in order to address issues affecting the sport. Although the Italian hasn’t called for the PTPA to be disbanded and said he would be open to talks later this year.
“Obviously this has been a very difficult period for the players,” he said in reference to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We were in limbo until the end of July on when the Tour would resume and where the US Open would be held.
“There was frustration among many. I have been a player myself and I understand their state of mind, but we listened to their complaints.
“We will all meet together at the end of November and December. We are of course open to discussions [with Djokovic and the PTPA], but the time has come for unity and not for conflicts.”
It is unclear as to where these discussions will take place or what will be on the agenda. In the past Djokovic has previously described the structure of the ATP as ‘flawed’ with conflicts of interest. He has also suggested that the president of the Tour, which is currently Gaudenzi, has too much power when it comes to decision making. Under the current structure the Player Council presents their recommendations to the board but don’t have a final say.
“It wouldn’t work and everyone would lose. Tournaments need players and players need tournaments. We cannot achieve the necessary changes if there are divisions,” Gaudenzi stresses.
“We must fight together to defend the best interests of tennis above all. Today we need consistency.”
The possibility of a united front concerning the PTPA is unlikely to be reached among the Big Three any time soon. Federer and Nadal had both previously declined to accept an invitation to join the union.
