"It probably should have happened a long time ago": Novak Djokovic admits potential ATP-WTA merger makes commercial sense
ATPThursday, 25 January 2024 at 02:00
World number one Serbia’s legendary tennis star Novak
Djokovic has backed the idea of the merger between WTA and ATP as according to
him, it will make more sense commercially.
There have been reports emerging from the tennis world that a
WTA and ATP tours merger is on the cards in the near future. Djokovic, who is
currently taking part in the Australian Open, was quoted in a report where he backed
the idea but also stated that he has no insider information about the developments.
“Yeah, I heard. I’m not sure if it’s like a total merge or
is it only a commercial kind of collaboration or agreement between the two
tours? I think to some extent it’s logical,” he said. “I mean, that if we are
having so many combined events on the tour that, you know, we try to
collaborate even further together and increase the value, I guess, of tennis
overall.
“But, you know, when it comes to the total merge, I’m not so
sure if that can work, to be honest, because a lot of things, there is still a
lot of differences, you know, with the rules and the way that the tours
operate. But commercially, yeah, I mean, why not? Let’s see what happens. I’m
not in the council anymore, so I don’t have any inside information to share
with you, but let’s see what happens.”
Djokovic is often regarded as the greatest player in the history
of tennis in the men’s singles category in the Open era, having won as many as
24 Grand Slam titles. He is now just two matches away from winning his 25th
major title after cementing his place in the semifinal of the first Grand Slam
of the year after beating America’s Taylor Fritz in the last-eight clash with a
score of 7-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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