Novak Djokovic wanted other players to step up by putting their names on tennis antitrust lawsuit

MIAMI GARDENS: Novak Djokovic doesn’t want the antitrust lawsuit filed by the players’ association he co-founded to create a rift in tennis, but he also said Thursday that the athletes’ share of revenues and their influence both need to increase.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion, speaking at a pre-tournament news conference at the Miami Open, explained that he was not listed among the plaintiffs on the case filed Tuesday in federal court in New York — along with actions in Brussels and London — “because I want other players to step up.”

The suit by the Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA) against the women’s and men’s tours, the International Tennis Federation and the sport’s integrity agency said the organizations hold “complete control over the players’ pay and working conditions,” calling them a “cartel.”

“I’ve never been a fan and supporter of division in our sport, but I’ve always fought for better representation and influence of and positioning of the players globally in our sport, which I think is still not where I think it should be,” Djokovic said, “and where most of the players think it should be, not just in terms of prize money, but in terms of many other points that have been also stated in that document.”