"We are absolutely with Novak Djokovic, ATP is simply an organization that is a puppet of large corporations" - Wimbledon doubles champion Nikola Mektic
Over the last few years, Novak Djokovic has led the fight against the ATP's Board of Directors for a more equitable distribution of prize money - especially for lower-ranked players.
However, there has been very little progress on that front, which eventually prompted the Serb to come up with the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), a player-only organization that aims to promote and protect the interests of his peers. The ATP has since tried to suppress the initiative, claiming that the Djokovic-led outfit could possibly lead to division in the sport.
It should be noted that many players have sided with Djokovic on the issue as they don't seem to agree with the ATP's operations. The Serb's band of supporters in his power struggle against the men's governing body grew further on Monday, when No. 2-ranked doubles player Nikola Mektic voiced his disapproval of the ATP.
Speaking to a Balkan tabloid, Mektic extended his support for the 20-time Major winner before making some scathing comments against the ATP. The Croatian alluded to the organisation's structural issues and conflicts of interest as he proceeded to call them "an organization that is a puppet of large corporations."
"We are absolutely with Novak. I know much less than Novak..." Mektic said. "ATP is simply an organization that is a puppet of large corporations."
Nikola Mektic not the first player to join Novak Djokovic's fight against the ATP
This instance is not the first time a player has taken potshots at the men's governing body. A few weeks ago, Reilly Opelka took umbrage at the ATP by reposting a tweet that pointed out how one of its executives represented the interests of China. The East Asian nation has come under fire recently for censoring tennis player Peng Shuai.
TBT to when people got mad at me for complaining about ATP and its conflicts of interest twitter.com/AnnaK_4ever/st…
John Isner, who has been a staunch supporter of the World No. 1's initiative, was also unhappy with the ATP's working model last year. In a series of tweets, the American proceeded to call the organization a "broken system," before asserting that the relationship between the players and tournaments lacked transparency.
It should also be noted that Djokovic himself previously served as the President of the ATP Players' Council. The World No. 1, however, grew disillusioned with the men's governing body in 2020, resigning from the council to create PTPA.