"Numerous, glaring breakdowns": Novak Djokovic-led PTPA issues damning statement after 2023 WTA Finals disaster

The Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA), led by Novak Djokovic, has issued a statement condemning the WTA for their "numerous, glaring breakdowns" throughout the season, culminating in the 2023 WTA Finals.

Cancun was selected as the location for the WTA Finals in September, leading the WTA to announce that it would spend $6 million on building a new stadium for the prestigious championship that gathers together the Top 8 players of the season. However, as players arrived at the Estadio Paradisus, problems were evident from the beginning.

Firstly, construction work remained unfinished until a day before the tournament began, meaning players had to share two hotel practice courts between them until then. Following this, many players including Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina complained about the bad quality courts, the unsafe venue, and the rough weather conditions that led the final to be delayed by a day.

The WTA Finals concluded on Monday, November 6, when Iga Swiatek defeated Jessica Pegula in the final 6-1, 6-0. Following this, the PTPA issued a statement in support of player's complaints and called for change from the WTA. The PTPA was founded by Djokovic and Canadian tennis player Vasek Pospisil "to protect, respect, and guarantee the fundamental rights of players."

"The recently concluded WTA Finals not only disappointed players and fans, but also cast a shadow over the sport of tennis and women's sports in general. Last week, the PTPA chose to remain silent out of respect for the dedicated players who put in a year of hard work to get there, and the local organizers unfairly trapped in an impossible situation.

"Now that the event is behind us, we hereby invite the WTA to co-commission an independent, third-party report that delves into the numerous, glaring breakdowns that occurred over the past several months. This is how we build lasting solutions: we must step beyond the confines of our insular tennis hierarchy and actively seek outside expertise to ensure these mistakes do not continue. We will await the WTA's response within 10 days to join us in this crucial effort for the betterment of women's tennis," they wrote. 

Since this statement was released, the PTPA have been sharing player's grievances on social media, including quotes from Sabalenka and Rybakina as well as their fellow WTA Finals qualifiers Ons Jabeur and Maria Sakkari. Along with each post, the PTPA added the caption "Player voices must be heard. The PTPA stands with the players speaking out and demanding better."