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“Don’t Know How Much People Want to Follow Him”: Billie Jean King on Novak Djokovic’s PTPA

Published 08/16/2021, 6:58 AM EDT

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Billie Jean King has made a few heavy statements in a recent interview with The New Yorker. The former American tennis player has stated that Novak Djokovic can become the greatest player of all time. However, she is not sure about how many people will follow him.

Billie Jean King is a 39 time Grand Slam champion, and 12 of those titles came in singles. She has been writing her new memoir, “All In” and has even talked about the discrimination she has been witnessing over the years.

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Billie Jean King speaks up on the Professional Tennis Players Association

The Professional Tennis Players Association is a body led by Novak Djokovic, which aims at giving players an equal share of prize money and a say in the operation of the sport. However, female tennis players didn’t feature in the PTPA, at least not in its initial stages. Billie Jean King has now spoken with Louisa Thomas of The New Yorker about this situation at hand.

The former US Open winner mentioned that the organization only talked about women when they were pushed.

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They only talk about the women if they’re pushed, though. That’s not good enough. They’ve got heavy hitters, they’ve got money—Djokovic is definitely going to be the best ever, which is really important. But I don’t know how much people want to follow him,” said Billie.

Watch this story: A Look Inside Novak Djokovic’s $10 Million Mansion in Spain

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Novak Djokovic gears up for the US Open

The World No. 1 has skipped a series of tournaments leading up to the US Open later this month. After suffering defeat at the Tokyo Olympics, Djokovic is on his way to New York to claim his fourth Grand Slam of the year.

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The Serb is on the verge of claiming the calendar Grand Slam this year as he has dominated the Grand Slams this year. Moreover, he would want to end the year on a high note after a poor Olympics run.

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Written by:

Suchit Halder

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Suchit Halder is a Tennis writer at EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Management Studies from St Xavier's College, Mumbai. With a keen interest in writing and sports, Suchit has previously worked as a content writer at Football Counter and worked with the content team for Delhi Capitals during IPL 2021.
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