"Try to structure a deal that is going to protect the integrity": Djokovic believes important factor surrounds potential Saudi Arabia deal

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic believes that the ATP and WTA must be cautious in a potential deal with Saudi Arabia.

There have been recent reports suggesting the Middle East’s country’s interest in investing heavily in the sport, just like they have done in golf and football.

Djokovic, who has won the most number of Grand Slam titles in the men’s singles tennis history in the Open era. Where he stated that both men’s and women’s tennis federations must find a way to structure a deal which will be beneficial for the bodies as well as the players.

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“Well, I think the president of ATP and WTA are going to probably answer those questions [regarding Saudi Arabia’s interest] better than I in terms of what strategically they think is the right move for tennis,” said the 36-year-old. “I think personally was just question of time when they were to start some kind of negotiations or conversations in tennis to try to enter tennis.

“They've done that with pretty much all other global sports, except maybe basketball. We see what's happening in football for the last few years, the stars that are going there for tremendous amounts of money. We know that Formula 1 is there, all the other sports, golf, et cetera. You mentioned golf.

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“I think that we as individual sport on a global level are probably closest to golf in terms of how we see sports. I think from that example we can probably learn a lot, some positives, some negatives, and try to structure a deal if it's going in that direction in a proper way that is going to protect the integrity and tradition and history of this sport, but still be able to grow it in such way that it will be appropriate.”

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