Novak Djokovic's PTPA has released a statement strongly urging the WTA to reconsider its position toward distributing ranking points.
Only recently, the PTPA announced a partnership with Universal Tennis in hopes of revolutionizing the tennis landscape. Novak Djokovic founded the PTPA a few years ago with his good friend Vasek Pospisil and the organization has been growing a lot.
They have been making moves with multiple statements, which were also teased in the past. One of those happened recently when they announced a partnership with Ultimate Tennis. It featured a brief explanation of what the partnership between PTPA and Universal Tennis aims to do.
The PTPA's main goal of expanding opportunities for both men and women in tennis is the chief goal though the partnership is far more than that. Explained as a strategic one focused on delivering increased value to the global tennis community by growing and innovating the sport, also Novak Djokovic was thrilled, as the announcement featured a statement from him.
The PTPA brings an ambitious agenda for advocating for the rights and interests of players, while Universal Tennis, renowned for its innovative technology, UTR Pro Tennis Tour, and global reach, can provide the necessary execution and scale.
Djokovic wasn't the only one to comment on the partnership as one of the WTA players part of his PTPA Ons Jabeur also added her comment. Like Djokovic, she is excited about what this possibly could bring to the players.
I have always believed in pushing boundaries both in my own tennis and for the sport as a whole. I am excited about the potential collaboration possibilities between the PTPA and Universal Tennis.
Shortly after the collaboration started, PTPA already released its first announcement regarding an issue that surrounds the UTR. The WTA rejected UTR Pro Tennis Tour's proposal to include ranking points in their events in 2024, and the PTPA wasn't really happy with that decision.
The WTA's rejection of the UTR Pro Tennis Tour's proposal to include WTA ranking points in 2024 is a disappointing decision. It reflects the WTA's focus on politics and control rather than enhancing player opportunities and well-being.
There is a substantial disparity between the average $25K tournament cutoffs for women (ranked 685) and men (ranked 1,174) in 2022 which further highlights the limited opportunities for emerging women professional players. Rejecting a proposal that would add one hundred incremental tournaments to the existing IT schedule and millions of dollars in prize money into the points pathway, without offering a viable alternative plan, is unacceptable.
We strongly urge the WT Board to reconsider this decision promptly, provide transparent reasoning, and stop denying players these crucial opportunities. The time has come for the WTA to prioritize player interests and foster the growth of the sport.
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