Andy Roddick recently criticized Novak Djokovic for promoting the Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA) during an event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. According to the former world No. 1 and 2003 US Open champion, Djokovic’s efforts to address perceived “injustice” in tennis through the PTPA, which he co-founded with Vasek Pospisil in 2019, have not yielded significant results.
At The Joy Forum in Riyadh, Djokovic, a 24-time Major champion and former No. 1, stated:
“When you see there’s injustice, you do something about it. In our sport, there’s a big monopoly that has been there for decades. That was actually the biggest inspiration for me and Vasek Pospisil, who’s my colleague tennis player, we co-founded PTPA, which is basically a union for players, which we don’t have.”
Reflecting on Djokovic’s remarks, Andy Roddick expressed his skepticism about the PTPA’s impact in addressing players’ concerns across both the ATP and WTA tours. The American believed that the formation of any players’ organization should depend on the collective consent of the players themselves.
“I just think that the players need to decide who is—who is that for them. I don’t think you can start a union and then say we represent you. I don’t think that’s the way it works and it hasn’t worked for the PTPA,” Roddick said during an episode of the ‘Served’ podcast.
### Andy Roddick Reacts to Djokovic-Led PTPA’s Controversial Lawsuit
Earlier this year, the Djokovic-led PTPA attracted significant attention with its sensational announcement of a lawsuit against tennis governing bodies, citing issues such as a lack of transparency and unfair practices.
The lawsuit accused the sport’s key governing bodies of operating collectively like a “cartel” and highlighted several perceived flaws, including the current ranking system and mandatory player participation at tournaments influenced by sponsorship deals.
Criticizing the manner in which the lawsuit was presented, Roddick commented on the ‘Served’ podcast:
“My biggest hope for this lawsuit, as much as, you know, I agree with the macro issues of tennis and disagree with the way that this was delivered. I thought it was—in I think it’s an ugly look for tennis. Hopefully, this creates a sense of urgency for the tours and the slams with the issues that players have with them that hasn’t been there before.”
Interestingly, Djokovic himself has admitted to disagreements with certain aspects of the lawsuit.
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**About the Author**
Sudipto Pati is a tennis journalist at Sportskeeda with over three years of experience across market research, travel, health, lifestyle, and sports sectors. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Sudipto has closely followed tennis since the early 2000s, keeping himself updated through credible sources, interviews, and documentaries.
In just three months, Sudipto has gained a readership of nearly 2 million at Sportskeeda. He admires Rafael Nadal for his fierce competitiveness and resilience after injury layoffs, considering him as his GOAT (Greatest of All Time), while also respecting the achievements of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
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https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-can-t-start-union-say-represent-you-andy-roddick-delivers-brutal-verdict-novak-djokovic-s-claim-fighting-injustice-ptpa
