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Rohan Bopanna, Sumit Nagal join Novak Djokovic-led players council
Bopanna, ranked 37th in doubles, and India’s highest-ranked singles player Nagal were both present in the meeting of around 60 players on court in the US Open’s bubble in New York on Saturday.
India’s top two tennis professionals, Rohan Bopanna and Sumit Nagal, have signed up to be part of the Novak Djokovic-led players’ council that rivals the official council of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the governing body of men’s tennis. The decision has caused a split at the top of world tennis, with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal publicly opposing it.
Bopanna, ranked 37th in doubles, and India’s highest-ranked singles player Nagal were both present in the meeting of around 60 players on court in the US Open’s bubble in New York on Saturday. Both the Indians also reposted a picture put up by Djokovic on Instagram with the caption: “After yesterday’s successful meeting, we are excited to announce the beginning of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA). The first player only association in tennis since 1972. #PTPA”.
“One of the main reasons I joined the PTPA is because there was a lot of lack of communication from the ATP’s side to the players,” Bopanna, the 2017 French Open mixed doubles champion, said from New York. “The players’ voices were never really heard at all, at many incidents. This association is basically to unify players and to have our voices heard. It’s not about anything else.”
Nagal said in a text message: “The primary reason that I got in is to have a voice together as professional players.”
Both Djokovic and Canadian Vasek Pospisil, the two faces behind the plan to form the new council, have maintained that the PTPA does not intend to cause disruption within the existing ATP set up.
Bopanna seconded the view. “The goal of the PTPA is not to replace the ATP, but to provide players of a self-governance structure that is independent from the ATP and directly responsible for us as player members, our needs and concerns,” he said.
The decision to form a new union hasn’t cut ice with Djokovic’s biggest rivals and all-time greats in Nadal and Federer, who are both part of the ATP players council. The two have urged for “unity, not for separation” in these challenging times for the sport. “We all, players, tournaments and governing bodies have to work together. We have a bigger problem and separation and disunion is definitely not the solution,” Nadal tweeted.
Federer retweeted the Spaniard’s tweet and said: “These are uncertain and challenging times, but I believe it’s critical for us to stand united as players, and as a sport, to pave the best way forward.”
Many other top players, like former world No. 1 Andy Murray, have opted against taking sides and are buying time for more clarity. Murray said he also wants women to be included in the male-only union. All the tennis’ governing bodies—the ATP, the WTA and the four Grand Slams—put up a united front against the move.
