Djokovic expresses love and admiration for Vasek Pospisil - "I know he has my back"

ATP
Wednesday, 01 December 2021 at 07:00
novak djokovic rg 2021 2

With both men joining forces to create the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), World No.1 Novak Djokovic has nothing but love and respect for Canadian veteran Vasek Pospisil.

The duo were instrumental in the formation of the PTPA in 2020, which serves as an alternative to the Association of Tennis Players (ATP) and aims to provide players with a self-governance structure and a greater degree of autonomy. As Djokovic and Pospisil are founding members, both men have formed a close relationship over the past few years.

"I love Vasek. He's a fantastic guy, great person, someone that is very passionate about tennis on and off the court," Djokovic said at the Davis Cup Finals. "We always got along very well, but especially in the last couple years obviously founding together the Professional Tennis Players Association that obviously has been quite a journey for both of us, got us to get to know each other better and to be closer and to really see how, I guess, synchronized we are with a lot of things that are happening in the tennis world.

"We share a lot of things in common when it comes to how we see the future of tennis, what are the issues."

With the PTPA seeking better rights and conditions for players on the ATP tour, particularly the lower-ranked players, the Serbian hopes their decision to form an alternative governing body would pay off sooner rather than later.

"It was a bold move from us. The time will tell whether it's right or wrong. We feel that it's the right move forward because players for quite a few decades did not have and still don't have a hundred percent players association, which I think is essential," added Djokovic.

"Vasek, as I said, is someone that is very committed, devoted, and passionate about these issues that we are facing and the challenges we have presented in front of us. I'm there with him all along.

"I have his back. I know he has my back. We try to do something that we feel is right and talking and raising the awareness about especially lower-ranked players, their livelihoods. "It's a very long way, but I feel like the relationship that we have, that we both treasure, is going to help us both steer, hopefully along with many other people in these organizations, steer this organization in the right direction."

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