South Africa's Kevin Anderson succeeds 'rebel' Novak Djokovic as ATP Player Council chief

Paris: South African Kevin Anderson has succeeded Novak Djokovic as president of the ATP Player Council. The Serbian World No.1 quit before the US Open in September to launch a breakaway organisation . The ATP said in a statement that Anderson would step up from vice-president of the Player Council to take over as president. “Congratulations Kevin” Tennis South Africa tweeted on Tuesday in recognition of Anderson’s new responsibility. It said that Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, Australian John Millman and British former world No.1 Andy Murray were voted on to the council by their fellow players. They replace Djokovic, Americans John Isner and Sam Querrey and Canadian Vasek Pospisil who all resigned in September. The ATP Player Council has 12 members, including Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who beat Djokovic on Sunday to win the French Open at Roland Garros for the 13th time. Djokovic is behind the creation of a new men’s professional tennis players’ association (PTPA), independent of the ATP, which runs the circuit. He has ignored calls from Nadal and Federer for “unity not separation”.