Ahmad Nassar, the CEO of the Novak Djokovic-led Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), has recently shared how deeply inspired he is by Djokovic’s perseverance and dedication to the sport, despite the Serb’s comparatively underwhelming results this year. According to Nassar, Djokovic’s drive and ambition remain strong, and he is confident the 24-time Grand Slam champion will continue to add to his already historic tally of titles.
The PTPA, co-founded by Djokovic and Canadian tennis player Vasek Pospisil in 2019, was created with the primary goal of ensuring a fairer landscape for professional tennis players, especially those who are lower-ranked. While the PTPA is still in its early stages and has faced numerous challenges in gaining widespread recognition, it continues to push forward with its mission to provide players with greater representation, financial security, and legal support. The organization strives to work alongside the more established bodies in tennis, such as the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), and the Grand Slam tournaments, to ensure that players at all levels of the sport have a voice and fair opportunities.
Currently, there is a considerable disparity between the earnings and overall livelihoods of top-ranked players and those who are lower on the professional circuit. This gap has led to many lower-ranked players being unable to sustain their careers financially, forcing them to abandon professional tennis despite their talent. Nassar and the PTPA have made it their mission to address this inequality, seeking to create a system where these players can continue their careers without facing financial ruin. The organization has also taken up the cause of improving player representation, particularly when it comes to issues such as the often grueling scheduling in professional tennis and the need for access to legal assistance.
In a recent interview with *Ubitennis*, Ahmad Nassar discussed the PTPA’s ongoing efforts and the time it may take for the association to gain full recognition and influence. While the organization is actively advocating for change, it is still in the process of building the stature and authority necessary to effect significant changes within the sport. Nassar pointed out that the journey to building a strong players’ union is not a quick one, using the examples of the player associations in other major sports such as the NBA and NFL to illustrate his point.
“It’s not immediate,” Nassar said. “The NFLPA is 60, 70 years old. The NBA and the MLBPA are of a similar age. I’m quite certain it’ll take less than that, but it’s always a process. Those players’ associations that I cited have been around for decades, and they would tell you and their members their work is not done. So you’re never really done. It’s a reflection of the athletes we represent.”
This acknowledgment of the long road ahead is not a deterrent to Nassar, who remains optimistic about the PTPA’s future. He credits Djokovic’s example as a key source of inspiration for himself and the organization. Djokovic’s relentless pursuit of excellence, even after achieving record-breaking success, serves as a model for the PTPA’s ongoing efforts.
“Novak Djokovic is not done winning Grand Slams,” Nassar added in his interview. “He wants to win another one. And that’s the inspiration for us.”
Djokovic, who had a somewhat quieter 2024 season by his own towering standards, continues to express his desire to compete at the highest level, particularly in the Grand Slam tournaments and international competitions for Serbia. Earlier this year, Djokovic himself addressed his motivation to keep pushing for more Grand Slam titles, despite the fact that he did not secure any major titles in 2024—a stark contrast to his incredible 2023 season, where he won three of the four Grand Slams.
Following his dominant performance in the Davis Cup group stage qualifiers in September 2024, where he defeated Greece’s Ioannis Xilas with a commanding 6-0, 6-1 victory, Djokovic made it clear that his focus is now solely on competing in the biggest events.
“I am not chasing a place on the ATP list, nor the Final Masters. Those are not my goals, honestly,” Djokovic stated. “As for me, I finished my career in other tournaments. I don’t know if I will play them in the future or this year. My priorities are playing for the national team and Grand Slams; everything else is less important.”
While Djokovic’s Grand Slam dominance in 2023 included victories at the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon, the landscape shifted in 2024. This year’s Grand Slam titles were shared by two of the sport’s rising stars, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Despite these results, Djokovic’s ambitions remain firmly intact, and he continues to focus on the events that matter most to him. However, Djokovic has also made decisions to scale back his participation in certain tournaments, including the 2024 Rolex Paris Masters, a tournament where he holds a record seven titles. His absence from this prestigious event further underscores his strategic focus on the few remaining goals that matter most to him.
For Nassar and the PTPA, Djokovic’s commitment to excellence and his willingness to advocate for his fellow players serve as a beacon of hope. The road ahead for the PTPA may be long, but with Djokovic at the helm and leaders like Nassar driving the vision forward, the organization is determined to make a lasting impact on the sport. Whether by addressing the financial challenges faced by lower-ranked players or advocating for fairer representation in scheduling and legal matters, the PTPA remains steadfast in its mission to reshape the landscape of professional tennis for the better.
As Nassar and the PTPA look ahead, they continue to draw inspiration from Djokovic’s enduring legacy—a legacy that, by all accounts, is far from finished.