Djokovic s declaration of war against ATP

The tournament for the 8 best players in 2025, starting on November 9, is jointly organized by ATP and the Italian Tennis Federation (FITP). Just a few days after FITP president Angelo Binaghi revealed that Djokovic would go to Turin, the Serbian star personally denied that claim. He said that he did not know where Mr. Binaghi got the news, and would only decide whether to attend the ATP Finals or not after finishing the ATP 250 Hellenic Championship in Athens on November 8.

When Djokovic delayed confirming his participation in the ATP Finals, the tournament organizers had to hastily rearrange their pre-tournament plans, putting them in a difficult situation. This is considered the most important time of the year for the ATP Tour. For the organization that runs men's tennis, the eight-day event at the end of the season is more important than any Grand Slam. Because this is the only major tournament they fully own and it brings in millions of dollars in revenue from sponsors and broadcasting contracts.

The eight qualified players are highly compensated, with the winner of all five matches in the next few days receiving $5.07 million - the largest prize pool in the history of a non-performance tournament.

Part of the deal to receive that money is that the players must attend pre-tournament events, do many media interviews and do what the ATP requires to promote the tournament.

Dovick's actions over the past few weeks have seriously damaged ATP's efforts to promote the biggest event of the year. He delayed confirming his attendance and only announced that he would not be arriving in Turin the evening before the opening day.

The fact that Djokovic announced that he would not compete in Turin after winning the ATP 250 tournament in Athens was not surprising, because it is unlikely that the 38-year-old tennis player would rush to move from Greece to Italy to attend a tournament that he also withdrew from last year. While on the other side of his career, Djokovic also did not play the full ATP schedule in the past few years.

The question is: When did Djokovic decide not to attend the ATP Finals? According to him, the decision was made after a tense 3-hour match with Lorenzo Musetti in the final in Athens. However, many people suspect that he never intended to compete in the harsh ATP Finals 2025 tournament, which brings together the world's strongest players.

When Djokovic refused to reveal whether he would play or not, the organizers still conducted a draw with his name on the list. The Serbian's withdrawal at the last minute threw the group out of balance, as he was replaced by No. 9 seed Musetti. This also caused Musetti and Felix Auger-Aliassime to wait anxiously, before the Italian tennis player was confirmed to have a place in the tournament thanks to Djokovic's decision.

Djokovic was asked many times about his decision to attend the ATP Finals during the ATP 250 tournament in Greece last week, but he always refused to answer. If he really intended to play in Turin, he must have carefully planned to move quickly from Greece to Italy. This makes many people suspect that the plan never existed.

While Djokovic prepares for a long break before the new season, the ATP can finally finalize its tournament lineup in Turin, and fans won't know for sure who they'll get to see compete until the last minute.

Djokovic and ATP rarely have the same opinion. The events of the past few days are unlikely to help improve relations between the two sides. Nole did not apologize for the confusion his decision caused, because he felt he had the right to choose when to play.

In addition, the Serbian tennis player did not hide his discomfort with the way ATP operates men's tennis. He supports the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), an organization he founded with Vasek Pospisil to create a voice for tennis players in managing this sport.

In a speech in Saudi Arabia last month, Djokovic spoke challenging words, showing that he is aiming for a role in promoting change in men's tennis.. "In our sport, there has been a big monopoly for decades, " Djokovic said at the Joy Forum while attending the Six Kings Slam exhibition tournament, referring to the ATP. "That was the main reason why my friend Vasek Pospisil and I founded PTPA ".

"Currently we have the PTPA, but still do not have a voice in making the final decision. That is the weakness of this system, " he added. "I'm always looking for innovation, and with my own achievements, I have a platform in my hand. I can say things that make many people uncomfortable. But I don't mind. I love tennis, this sport has given me everything, and I want to give it back. "

PTPA just filed a lawsuit against ATP and WTA earlier this year, for corruption and illegal activities. This organization was co-founded by Nole and Pospisil in 2019, and is responsible for the players in the top 500 in the world in two main systems, the ATP Tour and WTA Tour. PTPA's move to file a lawsuit is considered a seismic shift for world tennis, when for the first time the largest organizations, ATP, WTA and ITF, were accused of breaking the law.

According to the PTPA, tennis players are trapped in an unfair system that exploits their talent. They are paid too little compared to the revenue of each tournament, while each person's image and name are being abused. Tennis players face many barriers when wanting to have independent sponsors, due to countless restrictions imposed by the ATP and WTA. Djokovic once asserted that no sport treats players as cruelly as tennis.

With nearly 200 million USD in prize money earned during his career, along with many other revenues, money is not a problem for Djokovic right now. He wants his low-ranking colleagues to be treated better, in order to survive in this sport. "I wonder what I can do for the players, how to contribute to making the right changes, " Nole added. "Many people will object, but I can sleep well knowing that my heart is in the right place. The fire inside me still burns. As long as you live and breathe, you still want to make this world better ".

When a tennis legend announced that he wanted to confront managers to force change, the problem was gradually getting out of ATP's control. Djokovic's rather "upper hand" way of withdrawing from the ATP Finals may be proof that he no longer feels obliged to cooperate with those who he believes need to change the way this sport is run.

Vy Anh (according to Tennis365)