Novak Djokovic explains his shocking decision to split from organization he co-founded
NewsSunday, 18 January 2026 at 23:15
Novak Djokovic's departure from the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), a body he co-founded, caused a stir, and he has now opened up about his decision.
Djokovic has long argued that players are not treated fairly by the ATP, WTA, and other organizations that run tennis. Understandably, he knows most about men's tennis, but the Serbian said from the start that the PTPA was for all players.
The PTPA's founding by Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil in 2019 was met with support from some and trepidation by others. It put him at odds with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, both still playing at the time, who did not support the initiative.
After a few years of being derided by many for not achieving anything notable, the PTPA generated global headlines by filing a lawsuit against the ATP, WTA, International Tennis Federation, and the four Grand Slams.
The lawsuit covered several areas, such as prize money, anti-competitive practices, privacy, and many others. However, Djokovic, despite being a PTPA co-founder, did not sign the legal action.
At the time, the tennis legend said he agreed with some aspects of the lawsuit but not with others. Djokovic already seemed conflicted about the PTPA's direction at that stage, and his announced departure a few days ago was notable but also not wholly surprising.
In a pre-tournament press conference at the 2026 Australian Open, Djokovic said his exit from the PTPA was partially due to media outlets framing the organization as his rather than as one for all players.
"It was a tough call for me to exit the PTPA but I had to do that because I felt like my name was overused in pretty much every single article or communication channel and I felt like, people whenever they think about PTPA, they think that it’s my organization, which is a wrong idea from the beginning. It was supposed to be every players organization across the board, men and women."
The 24-time Grand Slam champion admitted he did not favor the direction of the PTPA under its leadership, but also insisted he still wants what's best for them because their success would benefit all players.
"I also didn’t like the way the leadership was taking the direction of the PTPA, so I decided to step out. Does that mean I’m not supporting PTPA? No, I am. I’m still wishing them all the best. Because I think there’s room and there’s a need for 100% players only representation existing in our ecosystem. That’s all."
Djokovic, who will miss Team Serbia's 2026 Davis Cup tie against Chile, finished by acknowledging that the controversial lawsuit also contributed to his departure because he did not endorse parts of it.
"Going back to the lawsuit as well back in Miami, March last year, I partly exited because of that. I didn’t agree with everything that was in there. I decided not to be one of the player plaintiffs. That was also one of the big reasons."
Whether one agrees with Djokovic's decisions to co-found or leave the PTPA, it cannot be doubted that he sincerely wants what is best for the players.
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