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“He Cares About Other Players”: Alexander Zverev Supports Novak Djokovic’s Players’ Association

Published 09/03/2020, 6:54 AM EDT

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Alexander Zverev continued his strong performance in the US Open 2020 as he reached the 3rd round beating Brandon Nakashima 7-5, 6-7, 6-3, 6-1 in the 2nd round.

In his post-match press conference, the World No. 7 was asked about the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA). PTPA has been a highly polarising topic among tennis players. And so many were eager to know Zverev’s opinion around the new association.

Zverev revealed that he hadn’t signed for the PTPA. However, the German seemed to sport a positive outlook towards the same.

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“I haven’t signed the paper. But I think it’s a great thing that players do want to come together. I think it’s great that we can be more united. I have to give credits — whether somebody signs the paper or not, that’s in their decision.

“But I have to give credit to Novak and to Vasek, because a World No. 1 has more things to do than, you know, do some player union or something like that, or not union but association,” Zverev said.

Alexander Zverev praises Novak Djokovic

Zverev also praised Vasek Pospisil and Novak Djokovic for their efforts in creating a united players’ front. The World No. 7 spoke highly of Djokovic for especially worrying about the lower-ranked and financially strapped players.

“He’s a World No. 1. He has made enough money, he doesn’t need to worry about that. He doesn’t need to worry about anything. But he does. He does worry about the well-being of other players, he does worry about the wealth of our sport and stuff like that.

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“So I think I have to give a lot of credit to him for taking the time and doing these things, because in his position, to be honest, he doesn’t need to,” said Zverev while lauding the World No.1.

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The PTPA is the brainchild of Pospisil and Djokovic. Both the players are the Co-Presidents of the newly founded association. The new front came into existence because some players were unhappy with the tangent that the ATP was taking as far as making decision is concerned.

Pospisil in his resignation from the ATP player council said that the players don’t have much role in the decisions the ATP takes. Therefore, the PTPA was brought forth in a bid to prioritize the players’ interest over everything else.

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Zverev is one of the top players in the world right now, therefore, his inclusion in the PTPA will be a huge boost for them.

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Written by:

Bhavishya Mittal

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Bhavishya Mittal is a tennis author for EssentiallySports, who is currently pursuing his Bachelor's degree in Journalism from Manipal University. A former sports editor for The Manipal Journal, Bhavishya has also worked for The New Indian Express. He has a keen eye for many sports but he is a particularly ardent follower of tennis, with a zest to create riveting articles on the ever-evolving sport.
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