'It makes no sense' - Dominic Thiem's manager blasts Novak Djokovic's new player association
Dominic Thiem's manager Herwig Straka has called out Novak Djokovic for his decision to form a new player association. The World No. 1 player has reportedly quit as the ATP Player Council President and is planning to start a new Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA).
As reported by the New York Times, Novak Djokovic resigned from his post and then fellow Council members John Isner and Vasek Pospisil followed suit.
Straka, who is also the tournament director of the ATP 500 event in Vienna, told Derstandard that he couldn't understand the motives of this new union. He pointed out that the players contributed 50 percent to all decisions taken by the ATP, which is why he feels there is no need for a breakaway group.
The players are represented like in any other sport: Straka backs ATP after Novak Djokovic's resignation
New York Times reported that all players had received a document from the PTPA, and the newly formed association wished to collect a certain number of signatures before going ahead with their plans.
"The goal of the PTPA is not to replace the ATP, but to provide the players with a self-governing structure, independent of the ATP, and to be the direct contact of the players," the document read.
Novak Djokovic is reportedly the principal figure behind the PTPA, and he has got the back of Pospisil and Isner. It is, however, pertinent to note that all the major tennis governing bodies and organizations seem to be favoring the ATP.
When asked about his opinion on this situation, Dominic Thiem's manager responded:
"We are convinced that it makes no sense to do something like this because the players in the ATP are represented by the structure of any athlete like in any other sport. If you're employed by a team, you can strike and form a union, but you don't have any rights. In the ATP, the players are 50 percent part of the organization, all decisions contribute 50 percent, so it's not entirely understandable."
Straka also confirmed that the ATP was working on a plan that would place the players in a better position than they are currently. Straka then went on to throw some light on Dominic Thiem's stance about the ATP-PTPA matter.
"I had contact with Dominic yesterday, and we talked about the situation. That is his decision. I just told him quite neutrally that I wouldn't understand giving up such a good position," Straka said.
Novak Djokovic's idea has, naturally, failed to receive the the backing of the top tennis officials around the world. It will be interesting to see if Djokovic, Isner and Pospisil can make the PTPA idea a success.