Former world No 1 slams Djokovic's claim of fighting 'injustice' in tennis through PTPA: 'Don't think you can start...'

Former world No 1 Andy Roddick has slammed Novak Djokovic for starting a players’ union without consulting other players, while adding that the said union has largely failed to address key concerns surrounding the current ATP and WTA Tours.

Djokovic, also a former world No 1 who also happens to be a 24-time Grand Slam champion, had co-founded the Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA) with retired Canadian player
Vasek Pospisil in 2019. And in a recent event, the Serbian superstar claimed that the organisation was their attempt at curbing perceived “injustice” in the sport.

“When you see there’s injustice, you do something about it. In our sport, there’s a big monopoly that has been there for decades. That was actually the biggest inspiration for and Vasek Pospisil, who’s my colleague tennis player, we co-founded PTPA, which is basically a union for players, which we don’t have,” Djokovic said at The Joy Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia recently.

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Novak Djokovic: “I come from a family where when you see injustice you do something about it. In our sport, it is a big monopoly that has been there for decades. That was the biggest inspiration for me with the PTPA.”pic.twitter.com/MnJS8IVB5U

— Danny (@DjokovicFan_) October 16, 2025

Roddick, who had won his only Grand Slam title in the 2003 US Open and remains the last American man to triumph at Flushing Meadows, responded by stating that it wasn’t up to Djokovic to make the decision of representing players’ interests, and that the project is yet to have a positive impact on the sport.

“I just think that the players need to decide who is who is that for them. I don’t think you can start a union and then say we represent you. I don’t think that’s the way it works and it hasn’t worked for the PTPA,” the 43-year-old responded on the Served podcast.

PTPA’s sensational lawsuit an ‘ugly look for tennis’, says Roddick

Roddick also downplayed the sensational lawsuit filed by the PTPA against the sport’s governing bodies in the US, UK and European Union in March citing dissatisfaction over the prized money formula designed by the tours as well as the “unsustainable” schedule and “invasive searches of personal devices”.

The body co-founded by Djokovic had additionally filed the lawsuit “on behalf of the entire player population”.

While headlines this weekend will focus on prize money the top 1% of players take home, the reality is most pro players do not earn a living wage competing on tour.@DjokerNole and the PTPA believe that this reality can be - and must be - changed for the good of all players. pic.twitter.com/urfbEnK0zH

— Professional Tennis Players Association (@ptpaplayers) September 8, 2023

Roddick agreed with the “macro issues” that are plaguing the sport and have put the spot on player welfare, disagreed the manner in which the PTPA went about filing the lawsuit, adding that it was an “ugly look for tennis”.

“My biggest hope for this lawsuit, as much as you know, I agree with the macro issues of tennis and disagree with the way that this was delivered. I thought it was in I think it’s an ugly look for tennis, hopefully this creates a sense of urgency for the tours and the slams with the issues that players have with them that hasn’t been there before,” Roddick added.