Young American Reilly Opelka backs Novak Djokovic’s PTPA; says ATP has a lot of ‘Conflict of Interests’

Young American Reilly Opelka backs Novak Djokovic’s PTPA; says ATP has a lot of ‘Conflict of Interests’
Novak Djokovic, Reilly Opelka

There is a lot that has been going on with the concern of having a union representing the needs and concerns of the players on the tour. The latest news being the withdrawal of World No.1 Novak Djokovic from the ATP Player Council due to persisting conflicts of interest.

The Serbian along with co-founder, Vasek Pospisil founded a separate union ‘of the players and for the players’ in September, which is called the PTPA (Professional Tennis Players’ Association).

Young American player Reilly Opelka, recently opened up his views on the issue of the need for a players’ association in tennis. He believes that there is a need for a union like the PTPA, led by the World No.1 in men’s tennis.

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There are like so many conflicts of interest: Reilly Opelka feels the need for a new structure

Reilly Opelka

Opelka expressed his opinions and said that there was an urgent need for a union like the PTPA. He emphasized that it could end all the possible conflicts of the ATP.

“There are like so many conflicts of interest, you know, for a big organization… and PTPA wants to get rid of all these conflicts of interest,” said the American player.

Opelka raised some serious questions about the ATP board and believed that it was very rigid in nature.

”If you look at the issues, how many conflicts of interests we have, in the ATP structure, it’s insane… You can’t be on the board of the ATP and you can’t be a tournament director and then a player’s agent. That can’t happen. That absolutely can’t happen,” said the 23-year-old player.

Opelka gives example of Dominic Thiem’s agent citing conflict of interest in the ATP

Dominic Thiem

The American further took the example of the agent of Dominic Thiem to describe the problem in the ATP. He raised questions over his appointment in the ATP board when he was already a personal agent.

“You know Dominic Thiem’s agent… for example, owns a tournament in Austria. He owns Vienna, so how could he, and he’s on the board in ATP, so essentially he has a vote on prize money… I really doubt he abuses that ’cause he is a good guy, but just the fact that’s there is there is wrong,” concluded Opelka.

The newly formed PTPA has not earned any official status as of now. Although the future of the PTPA remains uncertain, players recognize that their interests are not safe with the ATP but are not willing to say so openly.

Also Read: “Though he won, but how much emotion it cost him,” Former Russian No.1 on the extent Novak Djokovic suffered emotionally