London.- ATP figures show that Novak Djokovic has earned more than $182 million in his career, but the figure is still a far cry from reality, as it only includes prize money he has won while playing, not sponsorships or other earnings.

The most successful player in the history of this sport is also the most concerned about its future. In addition to competing in each tournament to win, like very few others, he also has a union vision, a political projection that has been nurturing for some time. He doesn’t just want to be the best tennis player ever, he also wants to transform that.

He hardly needs to be asked to start rambling about the present and future of tennis. Things, on the other hand, that seem to matter only to him. No one else talks about these issues; when bureaucracy comes in, it is always on Nole’s side.

“I like the fact that a person like him, a legend of the sport, is involved in the way he is, that he cares about everything that is happening in the world of tennis.”“It’s a very special day,” says Feliciano López, a former tennis player and now tournament organiser, with the Wimbledon courts in the background. “The players we’ve had recently, who have dominated tennis, have been very committed players, very polite, they have given a good image and have contributed a lot to tennis. Tennis is where it is thanks to what we have seen in recent years, and that has been thanks especially to three people, one of them in Nole“, concludes the man from Toledo.

Djokovic was part of the founding team a few years ago of the PTPA, which is something like a tennis players’ union, with all the asterisks that can be put on a union of people who by the very nature of their activity tend towards individualism and who live in very diverse circumstances from the top to the bottom. In reality, it happens in all sports unions in the world, there is a small percentage of tennis players who earn millions, a couple of hundred who manage to live well from sport and a huge number of players for whom the accounts do not add up.

“I think the players have to be united, This is a problem we have had for many years for several reasons.“I think that more players need to be able to make a living from the sport than they do now, in other sports like football or basketball there are a lot more people who make a living from them. I think it’s very good of him to try to leave the sport better than he found it,” says Nenad Zimonjic, who was a Davis Cup champion teaming with Djokovic.

Building a speech

The problem is that those players who cannot make a living from sport appear and disappear, so their voices tend to get lost in the void. It is precisely to them that the world number 2 pays the most attention.I think it’s amazing that he takes the time to do all this, because he’s such a legend, he could just focus on himself.“He has a lot of money, he could only think about winning Grand Slams, but he is the one who wanted to create something to defend the lower-ranked players, the one who tries to push for the best for the players, to seek more quality in the tournaments, to seek more money… I think it is very good for tennis to have someone like that,” explains Jeremy Chardy, a contemporary of Djokovic who was once world number 24.

In all this, Djokovic has also evolved. Of the three greats, he was always the one who had the most interest in these issues, also due to his biography; his beginnings were much more complex than those of Nadal or Federer. Djokovic worked his way up to become the best and has also changed in his relationship with the media. He was always talkative, it is obvious that he is very intelligent and capable of constructing a speech.But it is in recent years, when his traditional rivals have begun to decline, that he has begun to feel more comfortable in his role as union leader. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

It goes beyond just rhetoric. Djokovic is concerned, for example, about the expansion plans for the Wimbledon tournament and is able to talk about them at length. In addition to his position in the PTPA, he is one of the unofficial spokespersons for the entire group. and it is not unusual for him to talk to the circuit managers to get an idea of ​​how things are going.

Tommy Haas, a former tennis player, is currently the director of Indian Wells, one of the jewels of world tennis beyond the Grand Slams. He frequently talks to the tennis players and, of course, to Djkovic as well.

“It’s great to have someone like Novak, who has every record you can have in tennis, and to see him so open in his interest in growing the sport. To have him follow things closely, how they evolve and to give a voice to players who are farther down the rankings. He is very curious on and off the track, which makes it very special to talk to him about these topics. and to know his views. He is a person who will try to change tennis, we will have to see what happens when he retires in two or three years,” explains Haas.

The German, who reached second place in the world rankings as a tennis player, warns that no matter how powerful Djokovic’s brand is and how laudable his intentions are, the path will not be easy in any case.

“It’s hard to change things in tennis“There are many entities, many difficulties. I think there are many people trying to improve things and showing respect to those who are playing, the Masters1000 and the Grand Slams are trying to lead those changes and welcome other events within tennis. That is why I am here these days as well,” the former tennis player remarks.

That difficulty is one of the most difficult issues for someone who, like Djokovic, is more accustomed to success than anything else. Haas, despite everything, appreciates the effort.I can only say positive things about Nole“He has always been very respectful on and off the court, even when I have played against him and I have seen him in many situations off the court as well. He is a great ambassador for tennis,” she said.

In front of a microphone, he is full of praise. That is another of Djokovic’s strengths, his sporting history makes him untouchable in many ways because who dares to tell the best that he can be wrong?

2024-07-10 05:28:08
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