Djokovic, Sabalenka and Jovic headline new Grand Slam player council while Alcaraz, Sinner, Gauff miss out

After months and months of conflict and debacle between the ATP and WTA players and the Grand Slam tournaments, action is needed. Finally, it has come in the form of a Grand Slam player council featuring 12 players ready to discuss and put forward their views on how to improve the sport. While it is a strong and encouraging list of names, there are some notable exclusions.

For some time now, the players have been complaining about a plethora of issues in tennis that they have to regularly combat. At Grand Slam level, a large part of that is surrounding the prize money and their wish for more to be injected into the prize pot, aiding the lower ranked players.

That is not it. Scheduling complaints has been loud and clear, with the injury toll skyrocketing. Top names withdrawing from events for rest or precautionary measures have been more common with the ATP and WTA calendar's becoming more and more busy. The consequences at the very pinnacle of the sport are evident with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner enduring their own injury issues in 2026.

Along with more issues and problems undoubtedly on the tip of the tongues of many tennis players, the sport needs to be adjusted so it goes back on a more positive trajectory. This is where a new player council comes in, giving the players a voice and a platform to share their opinions on the four Grand Slam tournaments on how to make the game better.

The list is made up of six ATP and six WTA candidates. Novak Djokovic headlines it. The 39-year-old has been a part of the sport for two decades now and will have a wealth of knowledge and know-how on these types of situations.

World No.2 Alexander Zverev features with fellow top 10 talents Ben Shelton and Felix Auger-Aliassime on hand to share their thoughts. It is completed by Lorenzo Musetti and Arthur Rinderknech.

The WTA top three, in the form of Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula have all signed on to this council. Being some of the best players in the world, their voice will be heard and listened to over most. Especially Pegula who has taken it into her own hands to speak on some of these troubling issues.

Elina Svitolina and Maria Sakkari also feature with a spot on the council for 18-year-old Iva Jovic. Already showing her maturity, the teenage sensation will be a part of the sport for years to come, and to get her on the council is a wise move with a range of ages spanning over two decades between Djokovic and Jovic and everything else in between.

While those 12 players share a lot of esteem and respect, there are some missing that have most certainly caught the eye.

For starters, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the two best players on the ATP Tour, are seldom seen. The latter has recently distanced himself from the Grand Slam prize money debacle.

Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek are two other prominent names not to get a look in. Gauff especially is very outspoken and is not afraid to speak her mind on a number of topics, no matter how contentious they are.

At the end of the day, there is limited space and the 12 names on the council represent a vast age demographic while not being short on experience. They will soon get to work trying to get their thoughts across to improve the sport and prevent these recent controversies from cropping up. The next Grand Slam event is not until 2027 at the Australian Open.