Djokovic: No Major Boycott Threat

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Djokovic: No Major Boycott Threat

After making a dynamic Australian Open return, Novak Djokovic sought to set the record straight.

The 12-time Grand Slam champion disputed reports he advocated forming a new players union and a possible major boycott as a means for players to leverage more prize money at Grand Slams.

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"I know that you guys are trying to take this forward several steps," told the media in Melbourne after thrashing Donald Young in his opener. "Obviously you're talking about union, you're talking about boycott, you're talking about radical decisions to make and move so we can get financial compensations the way we deserve it.

"But there was no talks about that. Again, I'm saying it was subjects that we never get a chance to talk about in such a large group. That's all it was. Never have intentionally thrown anybody out of the room. Everything was done in a very normal, polite way. Players wanted to stay alone. There was up to a hundred players in the room. We talked about things that we talked about. That's all."

The Daily Mail reported Djokovic "stunned" ATP colleagues at the annual player meeting on Friday night before the tournament advocating players should earn more prize money and suggesting they consider forming their own player union to leverage higher earnings.

The former world No. 1 reportedly stood up at the meeting, mandatory for active players, and reportedly asked all non-players, including ATP chief executive Chris Kermode and other ATP board members, first leave the room so he could address players only.

Then "Djokovic made a lengthy speech in which he called for the players to form their own union to try to battle for higher levels of financial reward at all tournaments, including Wimbledon," The Daily Mail reported.

Djokovic said some issues were taken out of context and told journalists "not much of what you have wrote is true."

"I saw that some of you have written a story that has been a little bit exaggerated," Djokovic said. "You've taken things out of the context. I saw that you've portrayed me as someone who is very greedy, asks for more money and wants to boycott. But I respect your, you know, freedom and decisions to do that. But not much of what you have wrote is true.

"What happened is that we, players, just wanted to have us players talk about certain topics. I don't think there is anything unhealthy about that. We get together, a hundred players get together two or three times in a whole year. This is one of the places where we get together. We wanted to use this opportunity to speak about certain subjects and see how everyone, you know, reacts to that, and I guess see what opinions are. There was no decisions being made. There was no talks about boycott or anything like that."

@andyroddick any thoughts on Djokovic trying to start a players union? Is it realistic? Thanks.
— VID (@ryvid) January 15, 2018

It’s been a good idea for a long time :) Impossible for an entity to represent both sides of a negotiation. I’m amazed it’s not talked about more .... https://t.co/AqeyxpTjwH
— andyroddick (@andyroddick) January 16, 2018

Some former players, including Hall of Famers John McEnroe and Andy Roddick, have endorsed the concept of a new player's union in the past with McEnroe saying it's nearly impossible for the ATP, which was initially created as a players union, to serve both tournament and player interests.

Fifteen years ago, former South African standout Wayne Ferreira formed the International Men’s Tennis Association, which asserted the ATP had put tournament and sponsor interests ahead of the players that it represents.

That IMTA did not gain wide-spread traction though it did voice similar prize-money views to those Djokovic is reportedly raising.

"I mean, things are going in the right direction," Djokovic said. "Obviously, you know, the question that you ask me you can ask president of ATP. I'm part of the council, but I don't sit on these negotiation tables. Obviously before you get anything to be voted on the board, it has to go through council. It's not only me that makes some calls, far from that. I'm just glad that I'm part of it, that I can contribute to a better sport today, and the future. Hopefully the next generation will even have a better sport."

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve

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