By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday December 21, 2020
Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil have removed their names from the list of candidates from the ATP Players Council. Both players took to social media to announce the news, which doesn’t come as a surprise, given the fact that it had become publicly known that the ATP had incorporated a new rule which bans anybody with “conflicts of interest” from performing on the council earlier this year.
“My first reaction to this nomination was to accept it with the intention that, if elected, I would do my best to protect player’s interests within the ATP,” Djokovic wrote. “However, a few days after my nomination the ATP passed a new rule which has now put me in a difficult position. This new rule specifies that all members of the newly formed Professional Tennis Players Association or any association that is deemed as having a “conflict of interest” cannot be elected as a member of the players council.”
Djokovic was joined by Pospisil, who announced his news moments later on social media.
The Canadian says that he is in favor of removing conflicts of interest from the sport, but also hinted that he doesn’t want to be unfairly targeted by the tour simply because he is a part of the fledgling PTPA, while other factions go unpunished.
“I believe it’s equally important that this type of rule is applied to all levels within the ATP structure, including the board of directors and management, and not just targeted at the formation of player associations,” he wrote. “I will continue to advocate and work towards achieving a transparent tour where the players are treated as partners in the business of tennis.”
Djokovic echoed the same sentiments at the conclusion of his post.
“Before concluding, I wish to communicate that I believe it is extremely important that we do not have conflicts of interest in our sport,” he wrote. “I hope that, going forward, this is not only applied to the formation of new associations at the player level but further applied to all levels within the ATP structure.”